President John Dramani Mahama has confirmed that all six victims who lost their lives during the tragic stampede at the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) recruitment exercise at the El-Wak Sports Stadium in Accra were young women.
He further disclosed that during the nationwide recruitment process, a similar occurrence happened in Kumasi, where multiple people were injured.
Speaking at the launch of the Nkoko Nkitinkiti programme in the Ashanti Region, President Mahama described the tragedy as “heartbreaking” and called for swift measures to prevent future occurrences.
“As I speak to you, six have lost their lives and 12 are injured, and we are praying for a speedy recovery. Top officials in the military tell us that six of our youth, all females, have lost their lives. Also in Kumasi, the same thing happened, and people were injured,” he said.
Thousands of candidates hoping to enlist in the military flocked to the statewide exercise, which started earlier in the day. This resulted in crowded screening facilities and chaotic situations.
The stampede, according to witnesses at El-Wak Stadium, started as the gates were unlocked, causing a rush among nervous hopes.
President Mahama offered the grieving families his sympathies and reassured them that the government will guarantee safety and accountability in future hiring procedures.
Before starting the drill again, he also gave the Military High Command and the Defense Ministry instructions to examine their crowd control and screening protocols.
NKONKONSA.com
