Recruitment into the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) in the Greater Accra Region resumes today, Thursday, November 20, 2025, exactly one week after a deadly stampede at El-Wak Sports Stadium claimed six lives and forced a temporary suspension of the exercise.
President John Dramani Mahama ordered the immediate halt on November 12 to allow the military to review safety protocols and redesign the screening process to prevent any repeat of the tragedy.
Speaking on Citi FM, Director-General of Public Affairs at the GAF, Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin, confirmed that recruitment will now take place across five separate screening centres in the region to ease congestion and improve crowd control.
A strict daily limit of 1,200 applicants has been imposed at the main El-Wak venue.
“The numbers that will be at El-Wak will not be more than 1,200. This is because we are going to have two groups there, each made up of 600 potential recruits,” Captain Arhin explained.
She added that the exercise will run for a minimum of five days and will be conducted in phases, starting with verification of applicant documents and physical (body) examinations.
“This is phase one, where we verify their information and do the body checks,” she said.
The GAF has described the new measures as “stringent” and designed to guarantee a safe and orderly process for all applicants.
Recruitment had attracted thousands of youth, leading to chaotic scenes and the tragic stampede last week.
Authorities urge all applicants to cooperate fully with the new arrangements and follow instructions from security personnel at the various centres.
Tags: Ghana Armed Forces, GAF recruitment, El-Wak Stadium stampede, military recruitment Ghana
