Following the tragic stampede at the El Wak Sports Stadium on November 12, which claimed the lives of six potential recruits into the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) and left several others injured, tributes have been pouring in from across the country.
Vice President Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang expressed deep sorrow over the incident, urging the public to keep the affected families in their thoughts and prayers.
“As the relevant state agencies respond to the incident, let us stand together and support one another through this difficult moment,” she said in a Facebook post.
Former Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia also conveyed his condolences, wishing a swift recovery to the injured and extending sympathy to the “families of the young Ghanaians” who lost their lives in the tragic event.
Presidential aspirant of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr. Bryan Acheampong, said he was “deeply heartbroken” by the tragedy, which cut short the dreams of many young Ghanaians during the military recruitment exercise.
He stressed that every Ghanaian life is sacred and called for a thorough review of the recruitment process to prevent similar occurrences in the future.
“This tragedy demands urgent reflection. Our youth deserve opportunities that are safe, dignified, and hopeful,” he added.
The Progressive Alliance of Ghana (PAG), in a statement, described the incident as a reflection of a deeper national issue, the growing frustration among thousands of unemployed young Ghanaians seeking opportunities to build meaningful lives.
“The sheer number of applicants who turned up at El Wak is not merely a statistic; it is a loud cry for hope from a generation that feels left behind,” the statement read.
PAG emphasised that the incident should serve as a wake-up call, urging the government to take bold, transparent, and sustainable measures to tackle unemployment.
“We call for urgent reforms that prioritise job creation through industrial growth, private sector empowerment, and the modernisation of agriculture. Beyond policy documents and speeches, government must act decisively to expand opportunities, support entrepreneurship, and restore confidence in the economy,” the group added.
The Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference (GCBC) also extended its condolences to the bereaved families, describing the tragedy as a national loss that calls for reflection and reform.
“As shepherds of the Church in Ghana, we stand in prayerful solidarity with the affected families who mourn, the wounded who struggle to heal, and all who have been shaken by this loss,” the Bishops said.
They reaffirmed their commitment to promoting systems that respect the sanctity of human life, foster accountability, curtail indiscipline, and advance the common good of the nation.
