President John Dramani Mahama has instructed the Ghana Armed Forces to temporarily suspend its nationwide recruitment exercise following reports of injuries and deaths recorded in Accra and Kumasi.
The president explained that the decision would allow for a detailed investigation into the incidents and help establish stronger safety measures for future recruitment activities.
Speaking at the launch of the Nkoko Nkitinkiti programme in the Ashanti Region, President Mahama described the development as “deeply regrettable” and called for urgent reforms to prevent a recurrence.
“I have asked the leadership of the Armed Forces to temporarily halt the recruitment exercise and conduct a full investigation. We must take a fresh approach to ensure such unfortunate incidents do not happen again,” he stated.
The recruitment drive, which attracted thousands of young applicants across the country, reportedly became chaotic at several centres. In both Accra and Kumasi, large crowds led to stampedes, with some applicants collapsing as they struggled to enter overcrowded venues.
The Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) has confirmed that six people died during the stampede at the El-Wak Sports Stadium on Wednesday, November 12. The military urged the public to disregard false reports circulating about the death toll.
President Mahama emphasised that the safety of all applicants must be the foremost priority, noting that the recruitment process should embody discipline, professionalism, and respect for human life.
He also directed the Defence Ministry and the Armed Forces to review their crowd management and screening systems before restarting the exercise.
The president’s directive comes amid mounting public concern over how large-scale security recruitment exercises are managed, especially in light of the country’s high youth unemployment rate and limited job opportunities in the security sector.
The Ghana Armed Forces has not yet issued an official response to the president’s directive.
