Minority Leader Alexander Kwamena Afenyo-Markin has expressed deep sorrow and outrage following the tragic incident at the El-Wak Sports Stadium on Wednesday, which claimed the lives of six young Ghanaians and left several others injured during the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) 2025/2026 recruitment exercise.
In a strongly worded statement, Afenyo-Markin described the tragedy as a “catastrophic failure of crowd control and safety planning,” insisting that such a preventable loss of life must never happen again.
“These young people came with hope and patriotic zeal to serve their nation; they deserved protection, not peril,” the Minority Leader said.
According to him, the stampede, which occurred before the exercise officially began, represents not just a human tragedy but a systemic failure that calls for urgent answers, transparency, and meaningful reform.
Afenyo-Markin emphasised that “a stampede that claims six lives at a routine recruitment event is unacceptable,” and called for an independent, thorough, and time-bound investigation into the circumstances leading to the disaster. He urged that the findings be made public within fourteen days to ensure accountability and restore public confidence in national institutions.
“The families of the deceased and the nation deserve transparency, not bureaucratic opacity,” he stressed.
The Minority Leader further demanded that all recruitment activities be suspended until the Ghana Armed Forces can guarantee the safety of all participants through improved crowd management protocols, verified venue safety standards, and visible emergency response systems.
He also proposed a series of long-term reforms for future recruitment exercises, including online pre-registration, staggered arrival times, proper coordination with civilian emergency services, and on-site medical teams.
In his message of condolence, Afenyo-Markin extended “deepest sympathies to the bereaved families” and “solidarity and prayers to those injured,” noting that “the pursuit of national service must never be marred by preventable tragedy.”
He called for compensation and comprehensive support for the affected families, while demanding that individuals found culpable through negligence, poor planning, or inadequate supervision face both administrative and legal consequences.
Six lives have been lost. Six families are mourning. Six futures have been extinguished. This is a national tragedy that demands decisive action and unwavering accountability,” he concluded.
The Ghana Armed Forces has since confirmed that a preliminary inquiry into the incident is underway, but Ghanaians, led by figures like Afenyo-Markin, are calling for swift and transparent justice and for lessons to be learned so that such heartbreak never recurs.
