Recruitment into the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) in the Greater Accra Region will restart today, Thursday, November 20, 2025, after the exercise was briefly halted at the El-Wak Sports Stadium due to a deadly stampede that claimed six lives on Wednesday, November 12.
In response to the incident, President John Dramani Mahama directed the GAF to suspend the process to review safety protocols and overhaul the screening system to avoid future tragedies.
Speaking ahead of the reopening, the GAF announced that new, rigorous safety measures have been put in place to ensure the process is conducted smoothly and safely. One major adjustment is the establishment of five different screening centres to better control applicant movement and ease congestion.
Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin, Director-General of Public Affairs at GAF, stated that the updated system will strictly regulate the number of applicants allowed in each day. She revealed that only 1,200 people will undergo screening daily.
“The number of applicants at El-Wak will not exceed 1,200. This is because we will have two groups of 600 potential recruits each,” she clarified.
She also noted that the screening will last at least five days and will be carried out in stages, starting with the verification of applicant details and physical assessments.
“The screening is done in phases, and this first phase focuses on verifying their information and conducting body checks,” Captain Arhin added.