GAF Resumes 2025/2026 Recruitment Exercise in Greater Accra After Deadly Stampede

The Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) has announced the resumption of the 2025/2026 recruitment exercise in the Greater Accra Region following a temporary suspension last week. The exercise is set to restart on Thursday, November 20, 2025, according to a statement GAF issued on its X page.

The Armed Forces said that, to ensure a smooth and orderly process, screening will now be conducted across eight sub-centres in five major locations, including El-Wak Stadium, Nicholson Park and the Air Force Base at Burma Camp, the Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) at Teshie, and the Eastern Naval Command in Tema.

All qualified applicants will be processed in batches of 600, with each receiving an SMS specifying their reporting date, batch number, and designated centre. Applicants have also been encouraged to regularly check the recruitment portal for updates. Those who do not receive a message by Thursday, November 20, are urged to contact the helpline on 0256405104 or WhatsApp 0256405154.

The announcement follows last week’s recruitment chaos at El-Wak Stadium, where thousands of applicants converged in an uncoordinated manner, resulting in a stampede that claimed the lives of six young women and left several others injured. The tragic incident drew widespread public criticism, with many questioning the Armed Forces’ and government’s handling of the large turnout.

To prevent further incidents, GAF has urged applicants to adhere strictly to instructions and requested that family members and friends avoid accompanying applicants, noting that non-applicants will not be allowed entry into any screening centres.

Meanwhile, the Board of Inquiry investigating the stampede continues its work. To ensure transparency, the Greater Accra recruitment team has been replaced, with Commodore F.A. Nyarko, Colonel F. Kusi-Darko, and Colonel G.B. Eduah now overseeing the process as Director General of Human Resource, Director of Manpower, and Director of Information Technology, respectively. GAF assured the public that anyone found culpable will be sanctioned accordingly.

The Armed Forces also expressed regret over the incident, extended deepest sympathies to the bereaved families, and wished the injured a speedy recovery. All injured applicants will continue to receive free medical care at the 37 Military Hospital, and a special recruitment package will be offered to both the injured and the families of the deceased once recovery is complete.

GAF has appealed for the cooperation of the public to ensure a safe, organized, and transparent recruitment exercise across the Greater Accra Region.