News:
November 13, 2025
Acting Defense Minister Dr Ato Forson has assured Parliament that his ministry would take steps to prevent stampedes and death of those seeking to be recruited into the military when he briefed Parliament after Wednesday, November 12, 2025, stamped that led to six deaths and several others in critical condition.
According to him the recruitment exercise in Accra has been put on hold until further notice but the recruitment exercise is ongoing in other regions.
“The Ministry of Defence deeply mourns the loss of life and has extended condolences to the affected families. We are working closely with the Ghana Armed Forces, medical teams and law enforcement agencies to provide support to the injured and to investigate the circumstances that led to this tragedy”, he told the House.
And further added that, the Ghana Armed Forces has instituted an internal board of inquiry to investigate the causes of this unfortunate incident. “The safety and dignity of applicants remain paramount,” he stated.
“Applicants were going through body selection at Elwak Sports Stadium when the unfortunate situation occurred. It was a system designed to decentralize the process, reduce congestion, and share transparency as well as to ensure accessibility nationwide. Unfortunately, despite these measures, the stampede occurred at the Elwak Facility in Accra.”
I regret to report that there were 34 people who were direct casualties, some of whom are potential recruits and others, the speaker unfortunately, are not related to the enlistment at all. Additionally, there is a reported case of one person hospitalized at the Kumasi recruitment center, he told parliament.
Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com