The Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) will resume its suspended 2025/2026 recruitment exercise in the Greater Accra Region on Thursday, November 20, after a deadly stampede at El-Wak Stadium forced a nationwide halt to the process and triggered public outrage.
Six female applicants were confirmed dead and dozens injured when thousands of hopeful recruits massed at the Accra stadium on November 12 and surged toward the gates at dawn, overwhelming security and emergency response systems.
The incident led to an immediate suspension of the exercise and the setting up of a Board of Inquiry to investigate what went wrong.
In a new set of directives announced on Monday, the military high command outlined wide-ranging safety and organisational changes aimed at preventing a repeat of the tragedy and restoring public confidence in the recruitment process.
Under the revised plan, screening in the Greater Accra Region will no longer be concentrated at a single venue. Instead, GAF will operate eight sub-centres spread across five locations: El-Wak Stadium, Nicholson Park at Burma Camp, the Air Force Base at Burma Camp, the Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) at Teshie, and the Eastern Naval Command in Tema.
Officials say the decentralisation is designed to cut down the huge crowds that previously converged on El-Wak and to make crowd management and medical supervision more effective.
“All qualified applicants, in batches of 600 persons, will each receive an SMS specifying their reporting dates, batches and designated centres,” the military stated, adding that no applicant will be screened without prior notification.
Those who qualify but do not receive text messages by Thursday have been directed to call a dedicated helpline or contact a WhatsApp number for assistance, or check the GAF recruitment portal for updates.
In a sharp departure from previous practice, GAF has barred friends, relatives and other non-applicants from entering any of the recruitment grounds.
To reduce congestion and pressure at the gates, only applicants whose names appear on the day’s batch list will be allowed into the centres. The Armed Forces is urging families to remain at home and allow security personnel and medical teams to operate without interference.
Security will be tightened at all entry and exit points, with controlled access, designated queuing areas and on-site emergency teams expected to be in place throughout the screening period.
In a significant internal shake-up, the military high command has replaced the entire Greater Accra recruitment team to allow what it describes as a “fair and transparent” investigation into the El-Wak tragedy.
Commodore F.A. Nyarko has been appointed Director-General, Human Resource; Colonel F. Kusi-Darko is now Director, Manpower; and Colonel G.B. Eduah takes over as Director, Information Technology. All three will play central roles in overseeing the resumed screening and implementing the new safety regime.
A Board of Inquiry is probing the planning, crowd control arrangements and on-the-ground decisions that led to the crush at the 7,000-capacity El-Wak Stadium, which is owned by the Armed Forces and has now become the focus of national scrutiny.
Officials have warned that any officers or personnel found culpable will face sanctions once the inquiry is completed.
GAF has pledged continued free medical care for all injured applicants at the 37 Military Hospital until they are fully recovered. As of its latest communication, several victims remained in intensive or critical care.
The Armed Forces has also announced a “special recruitment package” for injured applicants and for families of the six deceased women, although details of the package are yet to be made public and are expected after the Board of Inquiry completes its work.
In its statement, GAF expressed “deep regret” over the incident and extended condolences to the bereaved families, describing the deaths as an “unfortunate and painful loss” for the institution and the nation.
The resumption of screening comes against a backdrop of public anger and calls for accountability over how a routine recruitment exercise at a military-run facility could degenerate into a deadly crush.
Survivors and families have questioned why thousands were allowed to mass at the stadium so early in the morning; why queuing and gate-control systems appeared to fail; and whether crowd estimates were matched by sufficient personnel and medical support on the ground.
While the new measures address immediate safety concerns through decentralisation, strict batch control and a ban on escorts, many observers say the real test will be how they work in practice and whether they are institutionalised for future recruitment rounds.
For now, the Armed Forces is asking the public for cooperation as it reopens its gates to thousands of young Ghanaians still keen to serve.
“The Ghana Armed Forces deeply regrets the incident and assures all Ghanaians that every necessary measure has been put in place to ensure a safe, orderly and transparent recruitment exercise,” the statement said.
As Thursday’s restart approaches, the memories of November 12 remain fresh. For many applicants and families, the question is whether the lessons of El-Wak have been fully learned, and whether the new system can deliver opportunity without tragedy.
