The Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) has announced the resumption of its 2025/2026 national recruitment exercise in the Greater Accra Region following a tempo
The Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) has announced the resumption of its 2025/2026 national recruitment exercise in the Greater Accra Region following a temporary suspension triggered by the deadly stampede at the El-Wak Sports Stadium last week
The incident, which claimed several lives and left dozens injured, forced the military hierarchy to halt the process and initiate sweeping internal reviews.
In a new statement issued by the Department of Public Relations at Burma Camp, GAF confirmed that the exercise will restart on Thursday, 20 November 2025, with a redesigned structure aimed at preventing overcrowding and ensuring better crowd control.
The revised plan includes the use of eight screening centres spread across five major security installations in Accra to reduce congestion and improve the safety of applicants.
The designated centres include:
1. El-Wak Stadium – 2 sub-centres
2. Nicholson Park, Burma Camp – 2 sub-centres
3. Air Force Base, Burma Camp
4. Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC), Teshie – 2 sub-centres
5. Eastern Naval Command, Tema
As part of the new safety protocol, applicants will report in batches of 600, each receiving an SMS with their reporting date, batch number, and assigned centre.
Prospective recruits are urged to monitor the GAF recruitment portal for updates. Those who do not receive a notification by 20 November are encouraged to call or WhatsApp the recruitment helpline for assistance.
To further reduce crowding, the Armed Forces has issued a strict directive barring family members and non-applicants from entering the screening centres.
According to the statement, the presence of large crowds during the first phase of the recruitment exercise contributed to chaos at the El-Wak Stadium, where unregulated movement and insufficient crowd segmentation led to the tragic stampede.
The suspension of the exercise last week followed the deaths and injuries reported at El-Wak, prompting widespread public concern about safety and planning.
In response, the Ghana Armed Forces launched a Board of Inquiry to investigate the circumstances surrounding the tragedy. The inquiry is currently underway.
To ensure an unbiased and transparent process, GAF has replaced the entire Greater Accra recruitment team pending the outcome of the investigations. The restructured team now includes:
Commodore F. A. Nyarko – Director General, Human Resource
Colonel F. Kusi-Darko – Director, Manpower
Colonel G. B. Eduah – Director, Information Technology
The Armed Forces assured the public that anyone found responsible for negligence or misconduct will face appropriate sanctions.
In a message of regret, the GAF extended its deepest condolences to the bereaved families and well wishes to the injured applicants.
All injured persons are receiving free treatment at the 37 Military Hospital until they fully recover. The military further announced a special recruitment package for all injured applicants upon recovery, as well as for families who lost loved ones in the incident.
The tragic stampede has reopened national conversations about safety standards in public recruitment exercises, especially those associated with the security services.
Historically, GAF recruitment has attracted thousands of young applicants, reflecting high demand for employment opportunities within the Armed Forces.
While previous recruitment exercises—both at regional and national levels—have experienced heavy turnout, they have rarely resulted in fatal incidents of this magnitude.
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