GAF resume Accra screening under strict safety reforms following stampede

Recruitment into the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) in the Greater Accra Region resumes today, Thursday, November 20, 2025, following the completion of a comprehensive safety review triggered by the tragic stampede at the El-Wak Sports Stadium.

The incident, which occurred on November 12, claimed the lives of six applicants and prompted President John Dramani Mahama to immediately suspend the exercise pending a full assessment of security and crowd management measures.

With the review concluded, the GAF has announced the reintroduction of the recruitment process under significantly strengthened safety protocols aimed at preventing a recurrence of the deadly incident.

A major adjustment to the exercise is the establishment of five designated screening centres across the region. The new decentralised approach is intended to reduce congestion, improve applicant flow, and minimise the risk of crowd surges.

Speaking to the media, Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin, Director-General of Public Affairs for the GAF, emphasised that strict daily limits on applicant numbers will now be enforced to ensure orderly conduct of the exercise.

According to Captain Arhin, the GAF will screen a maximum of 1,200 applicants per day.

“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,” she explained.

She further outlined that the recruitment process will run for a minimum of five days, with activities structured into clearly defined phases. The initial phase focuses on verification of applicant information and basic body checks as part of the preliminary assessment.

“The screening is in phases, and this is phase one, where we verify their information and do the body checks,” she noted.

The GAF says the new measures reflect its determination to safeguard all prospective recruits while ensuring a fair, transparent, and efficient selection process.