By Evans Worlanyo Ameamu, GNA
Keta (VR), Nov. 13, GNA – Residents of Keta in the Volta Region are mourning the six female applicants, who died Wednesday in a stampede at the El Wak Stadium in Accra, in the ongoing nationwide Ghana Armed Forces recruitment exercise. Â
The tragic incident sent shockwaves throughout Keta, with many expressing their condolences to the families of the deceased persons.
Mr Bill Godson Ocloo, a Security Analyst, in an interview with Ghana News Agency sympathised with the bereaved families while condemning the recruitment process, stating that it was flawed, hence leading to the tragic outcome.
“Since they know very well that the applicants are many, the military should have engaged them in batches to avoid such overcrowding that led to the unfortunate incident,” he said.
He said the outcome of a thorough investigation into the incident would determine the cause of the stampede and identify proper recruitment methods to curb any unforeseen circumstances in the ensuing processes.
Mr Ocloo said the military recruitment exercise was intended to provide opportunities for young people in various regions to serve their country but had ended tragically for some families, noting the incident raised concerns about the safety and management of such events.
“The El-Wak Stadium where the incident occurred, is a popular venue for public events in the Greater Accra Region. The circumstances surrounding the stampede are still unclear but it is believed that a combination of factors might have contributed to the disaster,” he said
Mr Famous Eli Doamekpor, a resident of Vui, a suburb of Keta said the incident had sparked an outpouring of sympathy across the community and appealed to the public to keep calm for the authorities to take steps to investigate and prevent similar incidents in future.
The Ghana Armed Forces in a statement released on Wednesday, November 12, shortly after the tragedy, expressed their regret and sadness over the incident and promised to provide support to the families of the deceased and to cooperate for investigations into the incident.
The government had also expressed its condolences to the families of the deceased and promised to provide support, with President John Dramani Mahama also visiting the 37 Military Hospital in Accra to commiserate with those injured in the stampede and were receiving treatments at the hospital.
The recruitment process in Greater Accra has since been suspended temporarily, to allow for investigations and additional measures to ensure a seamless exercise.
Ahead of the outcome of the investigation, some Keta residents had proposed that subsequent recruitment exercises should give special attention to female applicants to avoid similar occurrences, while others also urged the President to appoint a substantive Minister of Defense to oversee the recruitment processes.
GNA
Edited by Maxwell Awumah/ Christabel Addo