The Ghana Armed Forces has directed senior officers who oversaw the recruitment exercise at the El-Wak Sports Stadium to step aside as investigations continue into the stampede that claimed six lives and left several others injured.
Sources within the military told JoyNews that new commanders have been appointed to take over the recruitment process once it resumes, in a bid to ensure transparency and maintain the integrity of the probe.
The tragedy occurred on November 12 during a screening exercise at the stadium in Accra, where thousands of applicants gathered, many arriving before dawn.
A surge at one of the gates triggered chaos, leading to the deaths of six young women and injuries to many others, who were rushed to nearby hospitals for treatment.
Following the incident, the Ghana Armed Forces suspended the recruitment process in the Greater Accra Region and set up a Board of Inquiry to investigate.
President John Dramani Mahama has since extended the suspension nationwide, directing that the Board review crowd management, officer conduct, and overall safety protocols.
A similar stampede was recorded at the Babayara Stadium in Kumasi, where nearly twenty people were injured, though no deaths occurred.
Security experts and civil society groups have urged the military to decentralise recruitment centres, implement stricter batch scheduling, and adopt better crowd-control systems.
Families of the victims have also called for accountability and reforms to prevent future tragedies.
