President John Dramani Mahama has ordered an immediate suspension of the ongoing nationwide military recruitment exercise after reports of deaths and injuries emerged from centres in Accra and Kumasi.
The directive, announced during the launch of the Nkoko Nkitinkiti programme in the Ashanti Region, follows chaotic scenes at various recruitment venues where overcrowding reportedly led to stampedes, leaving several applicants injured and at least six confirmed dead at the El-Wak Sports Stadium in Accra.
Describing the tragedy as “deeply regrettable,” President Mahama said the suspension will allow for a full investigation into the incidents and a review of recruitment protocols to prevent future occurrences.
“I have asked the leadership of the Armed Forces to temporarily halt the recruitment exercise and conduct a comprehensive investigation. We must take a new approach to ensure that such unfortunate incidents do not happen again,” the President stated.
According to reports, thousands of young applicants had gathered across the country in hopes of securing positions within the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF). However, poor crowd management and overcrowded facilities led to dangerous conditions at several recruitment centres.
The GAF has since confirmed six fatalities from the El-Wak incident and urged the public to disregard exaggerated or unverified death tolls circulating on social media.
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President Mahama emphasized that the safety and dignity of applicants must remain paramount and directed the Ministry of Defence and GAF to review their crowd control, screening, and safety measures before resuming the recruitment exercise.
He further noted that the government remains committed to expanding job opportunities for the youth but insisted that such efforts must “never come at the expense of human life.”
The suspension comes amid rising public concern over the conduct of mass recruitment drives, which often attract huge crowds due to limited employment opportunities in the public sector.
source: Myjoyonline
