The Member of Parliament for the Pusiga in the Upper East Region, Laadi Ayii Ayamba, drawn public anger, particularly on social media, by claiming that the tragic deaths during an army recruitment exercise at the El Wak Sports Stadium in Accra were a matter of divine will.
In her speech, Madam Ayamba said, “There is nothing that happens without happening at the right time. This is what Almighty Allah has ordained for them.” She added, “Today is their day; no matter how, no matter what, no matter who was there, even if all the presidents in the world were present, once it is ordained by Allah that they will die today, they will.” She went on, “That is what has happened, and that is the will of Allah.”
She also sought to offer solace, stating: “Nobody wanted them dead.” She urged compatriots to reflect on the incident in faith: “We want to take solace in Almighty Allah. Think about how things may happen; they may happen at any time.”
Her comments have drawn fierce backlash. Political scientist Dr. Joshua Zaato described the remarks as “insensitive” and “a reflection of mediocrity in leadership,” arguing that the tragedy was neither inevitable nor solely a matter of fate.
“If you had nothing to say, young girls died. Mothers were mourning, mothers were crying,” he said. “When you have such people making policies for us, you wonder where we are as a country.”
On social media, users reacted with outrage. Some posts asked: “They were meant to die?” Others said the framing of the tragedy as destiny downplays calls for accountability and reform. One trending tagline summed it up: “They only wanted jobs.”
Within Parliament, several MPs responded in shock. One MP reportedly exclaimed, “Ei!” in surprise during Ayamba’s delivery, according to online reports of the debate.
While some lawmakers defended the MP’s remarks as a religious observation that has been taken out of context, others said the incident exposed a deeper disconnect between the political class and ordinary Ghanaians who lined up for state employment.
The recruitment exercise, open to many thousands of job-seekers, was meant to make the hiring process more transparent. But the fatal crush at the stadium has reignited questions about crowd-control, venue readiness and safety protocols.
As the investigation into the incident continues, Madam Ayamba’s comments have become part of the national conversation both about the tragedy itself and about death.
