The government has announced a compensation and funeral package for families of the six people who died in a stampede during a military recruitment exercise at the El Wak Sports Stadium in Accra last month.
Officials say each bereaved family will receive a total of GHC150,000, made up of GHC50,000 for funeral and burial expenses and GHC100,000 as compensation. The Ministry of Defence described the package as part of efforts to ease the financial and emotional burden on affected families.
The stampede occurred on 12 November when thousands of young people converged on the stadium to undergo screening for recruitment into the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF). A surge at one of the entry points led to chaos, leaving six people dead and several others injured. The tragedy triggered widespread criticism of crowd management at public recruitment processes.
In addition to the financial support, the government says one eligible relative of each deceased person will be offered automatic enlistment into the Armed Forces. Injured applicants who are later certified fit may also be considered for recruitment.
Officials say the state will also provide ongoing psychosocial support for families, including counselling and social welfare services.
The announcement has drawn mixed reactions. Some security analysts have questioned the timing of the automatic recruitment offer, arguing that families are still grieving. Others have welcomed the compensation package but say the government must go further by reforming recruitment procedures to prevent similar incidents.
The Ministry of Defence has pledged to review safety protocols at future exercises. Meanwhile, families continue to await full details on how the payments and additional support will be administered.
