Executive Secretary of the Importers and Exporters Association of Ghana, Samson Asaki Awingobit, has criticized the military high command for its handling of the recent recruitment exercise that led to the deaths of six young Ghanaians.
Speaking as a panelist on TV3’s The Big Issue on Thursday, November 13, 2025, Awingobit questioned the decision to host thousands of applicants at a single venue, the El-Wak Stadium, instead of utilizing multiple large spaces to manage the crowd.
“I strongly believe the military high command has failed us as Ghanaians. The recruitment process was poorly arranged. Applications were submitted digitally, so they had the numbers in advance. They could have segregated applicants, SHS graduates applying for the Air Force, Navy, and Army, and used multiple venues like Independence Square, El-Wak Stadium, and even Kawukudi,” he said.
He criticized the Human Resources department for not anticipating the crowd size and failing to implement proper crowd control measures.
“It was only after the chaos began that they brought in canopies. That was an afterthought. The recruitment was mismanaged, and in other countries, the Director-General would have resigned.”
Awingobit urged other security agencies to learn from the tragedy and plan better for their upcoming recruitment exercises.
“What we saw yesterday shows that people are desperate. They don’t want to sit at home. They’ve just finished senior high school and want to work. The military, police, immigration, fire service, and prison service must take this as a warning.”
The nation was plunged into mourning on Wednesday, November 12, 2025, after authorities confirmed the deaths of six applicants and injuries to several others following a stampede at the El-Wak Stadium. Most of the victims were reported to be recent senior high school graduates.
