Speaking on Tuesday, November 18, 2025, during a courtesy visit from the Christian Council of Ghana, he said the lack of clear and fair recruitment processes had turned a life-changing opportunity for young Ghanaians into a dangerous situation.

“The El-Wak tragedy was avoidable. It just shouldn’t have happened,” President Mahama stated.

He noted that opaque procedures, unclear timelines, and sudden announcements had created confusion and overcrowding at recruitment venues.

While regional exercises in most parts of the country ran smoothly, Greater Accra and Ashanti faced serious challenges, he said, citing cases of injuries and near-fatal incidents.

“At El-Wak, the venue had only two entrances, which was insufficient for the number of applicants. The exercise should have been suspended and the plan reviewed,” he added.

The President confirmed that new measures are now in place, including capping the number of daily applicants at screening centres and opening multiple venues to prevent overcrowding and reduce the risk of future stampedes.

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According to him, the tragedy was a result of leadership failure. Nana Twum Barimah I stated that, even if the officers in charge are not entirely dismissed, they must lose their ranks to serve as a deterrent and prevent future occurrences.

He explained that, as part of former President John Dramani Mahama’s Resetting Agenda, this incident should serve as a test case for taking decisive action against those responsible for the recruitment process, whose negligence resulted in loss of life, while also prompting necessary reforms within the security agencies.

Addressing concerns over whether the absence of a substantive Defense Minister contributed to the disaster, Nana Twum Barimah I said it could not have been a factor.

He noted that the Ghana Armed Forces is headed by the Chief of Defence Staff and properly supervised by the Chief Director, who oversees such operations. “It would be incorrect to attribute the disaster to the absence of a Defense Minister,” he said.

He also commended the Deputy Defense Minister, stating, “I have monitored the Deputy Defense Minister, and I can say he is doing well so far, with the entire GAF hierarchy providing the needed support.”

The stampede, which occurred on Wednesday, August 12, 2025, resulted in the death of six military recruit applicants. Twelve others sustained various injuries, with five reportedly in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).

President John Dramani Mahama visited the injured at the 37 Military Hospital and subsequently directed that the recruitment exercise be halted. Acting Defense Minister Cassiel Ato Forson confirmed that an internal committee has been established to investigate the incident.

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“The process must be halted immediately. Halt it immediately and let us prioritise lives,” Rev. Fordjour stated on JoyNews midday news following the tragic incident.

He described the development as deeply saddening and stressed the urgent need to review the recruitment process to ensure proper crowd management and safety protocols.

“As we halt it, we need to get back to the table and review the entire process,” he suggested.

The lawmaker also called for a thorough investigation into the circumstances that led to the disaster, insisting that accountability and reforms are essential to restore public confidence in the recruitment exercise.

“A full investigation has to be undertaken to establish the facts, and reviews must be implemented to ensure we can save lives,” Rev. Fordjour added.

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This development was disclosed by private legal practitioner Martin Kpebu during a telephone interview with Channel One News’ Hanson Agyemang.

According to Kpebu, the NIB director personally contacted the chairman of the government’s Operation Recover All Loot (ORAL), Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, to communicate his intention.

The land in question is located in the agri-mechanisation lands area, opposite the El Wak Stadium in Accra.

Kpebu raised concerns about serious irregularities surrounding the rezoning process of the land, describing it as fundamentally flawed. He explained that procedural lapses, including the failure to involve Parliament, rendered the rezoning exercise illegitimate.

“The director of the NIB, Mr. Nana Attobrah Quaicoe, called our chairman, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, to inform him of his willingness to relinquish his parcel of land in the agri-mechanisation lands area, which is practically opposite the El Wak Stadium.

“It is government land, but the Akufo-Addo administration illegally rezoned it. Checks at the Town and Country Planning show that the right procedures were not followed. Parliament was not involved in the rezoning, so the entire exercise is problematic. As a result, the beneficiaries of the land have not properly acquired any property,” he stated.

ORAL was established by President John Dramani Mahama on December 18, 2024, to spearhead the recovery of state properties and assets unlawfully taken by individuals, particularly during past administrations.

The five-member team, led by Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has been tasked with ensuring accountability and restoring public confidence in the management of state assets.

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The El-Wak Stadium has been left in a poor state and has seen no facelift in the past years.

According to the former Chelsea defender, he tried to meet the right people to discuss his plans but no one was willing to open up.

“It was hell trying to find out who exactly it belongs to,” Desailly told Joy Sports.

“From the military side and others. My aim was not to take the place for myself, considering the military are the ones that use the place for some official duties.

“But the guys were not opening up. We are corrupt, I have to say the truth!”

The former AC Milan star said he had hoped to redevelop the El-Wak Stadium to accommodate more sporting facilities.

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“I had the model. El-Wak needed commercial spaces around, just as I had done at Lizzy, reorganise the sports facilities because there was handball, basketball,” he noted.

“I could create a pool as well as the track around it, a gym just to be able to bring income to maintain the sports facility.”

Desailly was born in Ghana to Ghanaian parents but decided to play for France after relocating to the European country at a young age.

The 52-year-old won the FIFA World Cup, Euros and the Confederations Cup in what was a trophy-laden international career with France.

He later returned to Ghana to invest in grassroots football by building the Lizzy Sports Complex at East Legon in Accra.

Desailly added that Ghanaian officials must be “more open” to people who want to redevelop facilities in the national interest.