Mr. Eric Edem Agbana, Member of Parliament of Ketu North, has described the recent El-Wak recruitment tragedy as entirely preventable, stating that Ghanaians should not lose their lives while responding to a national call to serve.
In an address Mr. Agbana said the incident was not a matter of fate but a “failure of systems and leadership,” insisting that such tragedies must not be normalized in the country’s public institutions.
“Those who slept on their job must be held accountable. Every society experiences misfortunes, but what happened at El-Wak was the result of negligence, not fate,” he said.
He welcomed the announcement by the Deputy Minister of Defence, Mr. Yaw Brogya Genfi that internal investigations had commenced, describing it as an appropriate first step.
However, he stressed that the failure appeared to be operational rather than political, pointing out that the Ghana Armed Forces had conducted similar recruitment exercises for many years.
“To blame this incident on the absence of a substantive Minister of Defence is simply unfounded. For an institution with long-standing experience in organising such exercises, safeguards should have been in place to prevent what we witnessed,” he noted.
He added that lessons from past recruitment exercises should have been applied to improve planning, crowd management, logistics, and coordination.
Anyone whose negligence contributed directly or indirectly to the tragedy, he said, must face firm and decisive sanctions.
Mr. Agbana described the incident as a national tragedy and a painful reminder of the risks many young Ghanaians face in their pursuit of opportunities to serve their country.
On behalf of the people of Ketu North, he extended his condolences to the bereaved families and wished the injured a speedy recovery.
He commended President John Dramani Mahama for his swift response, acknowledging his visit to the 37 Military Hospital to console victims and their families a gesture he said demonstrated empathy and responsible leadership.
He also praised the Ghana Armed Forces, Ghana Police Service, National Ambulance Service, and the medical teams who responded promptly to save lives.
Calling for a full-scale and transparent investigation, Mr. Agbana urged Parliament to examine all aspects of the tragedy and ensure that systemic failures were addressed decisively.
He advocated a complete overhaul of the recruitment process.
“The days of assembling thousands of young applicants at a single venue must end. We need a decentralised, technology-driven system that screens applicants in manageable batches across the regions,” he recommended.
Such reforms, he noted, would enhance transparency, improve safety, and uphold the dignity of applicants.
Mr. Agbana urged national reflection and a renewed commitment to creating sustainable employment opportunities for the youth, stressing that no young person should be pushed into dangerous situations out of desperation.
“May the souls of the departed rest in perfect peace, and may our nation learn and emerge stronger from this painful experience,” he said.
