Families of the prospective applicants who lost their lives in the El-Wak stampede, which occurred on Wednesday, November 12, in Accra, have been allowed to present names of relatives who qualify to be absorbed into the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF), officials announced.

It all started when thousands of Ghanaian youth, hoping to gain entry into the military, thronged the stadium in the early hours of Wednesday. However, even before the screening exercise could begin, the unfortunate happened when a surge of applicants breached security protocols and rushed toward the gates.

The uncontrolled crowd movement caused people to fall and be trampled, resulting in fatalities and multiple injuries. claimed the lives of six (6), all females and over twenty-eight (28) were left injured, with some confirmed to be in a critical condition.

During a visit to one of the bereaved families at Eyan Maim in the Central Region, the Deputy Defence Minister, Ernest Brogya Genfi, revealed that President John Dramani Mahama has instructed that each affected family be given an automatic slot.

"Due to what happened, the recruitment in Accra has been suspended by the President, so that we will ensure that measures are put in place to avoid a repeat of such incidents."

"The President has sent us to inform you that the State will stand with the families in the burial and funeral arrangements for the families. The President has also asked us to inform you that all those who wanted to wear the military uniform but died in the process, their families should present a replacement for those people to be absorbed into the military. So, the authorities representing the government in the region will engage you in that regard for the family to decide on who can be enrolled into the military."

Meanwhile, the Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, described the incident as deeply heartbreaking and affirmed that the state will ensure all six victims receive befitting burials in honour of their service.

"The government wants you to know that you're not in this alone; the whole nation is affected. Your children also belong to the State. The President wants you to know that he's standing with you in this period of mourning. You're not alone. His Excellency John Mahama stands with you through this painful period."

The arrangements in place for the deceased and the injured ones, the President says, he's standing with all of them. Those who require a befitting burial, he will stand with the support of the family to give them a befitting burial. And those who are also recovering at 37 Military Hospital, the government is bearing all the cost until such time that they fully recover."

The GAF preliminary inquiry indicates that the stampede was triggered when applicants breached security protocols and rushed through gates ahead of schedule.

The government’s gesture seeks to honour the memories of those who died in pursuit of serving their country and to reassure families of its commitment to their welfare.

During a visit to the victims of the stampede at the 37 Military Hospital on Thursday, November 13, the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, donated GH¢100,000 to support the medical treatment of victims injured in the El-Wak Sports Stadium stampede.

Mr Bagbin, who was with a delegation of Parliament, explained that the gesture is Parliment’s way of showing solidarity with the affected families and help ease their financial burdens.

He said the gesture was to help alleviate the financial burden on the victims and demonstrate Parliament’s solidarity with affected families.

The Speaker also expressed grave concern about the recurring challenges associated with public sector recruitment exercises, emphasising the need for urgent reforms to make the process safer and more efficient.

President John Dramani Mahama described the incident as “a heartbreaking loss for the entire nation,” while extending his condolences to the bereaved families.

According to him, “The tragic news is that I have been informed by the military that six young women, who simply sought an opportunity to serve their nation, lost their lives in this heartbreaking incident. We are praying for the 12 others who remain in critical condition.”