Overcrowding, Poverty Contributed to El-Wak Stampede – Elikem Kotoko
Forestry Commission Deputy CEO calls for modernised, decentralised recruitment following deadly El-Wak stampede
- Elikem Kotoko links recruitment stampede to socioeconomic hardship and unemployment
- Advocates for decentralised, modern recruitment to prevent overcrowding
- El-Wak tragedy leaves six dead and 28 injured; Accra recruitment temporarily suspended
Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the Forestry Commission, Elikem Kotoko, has highlighted the socioeconomic pressures pushing many Ghanaians to participate in Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) recruitment exercises, following the tragic stampede at El-Wak Sports Stadium in Accra.
In an interview, Mr. Kotoko praised President Mahama for his prompt intervention but stressed that the incident should prompt a complete overhaul of the recruitment process.
“I must commend President Mahama for taking swift action. I think this should be a wake-up call for us to relook into overhauling the entire process of recruitment, where, in modern day, you still want people to physically assemble at a place before you can actually assess them,” he said.
He advocated for a decentralised, structured approach, warning that crowding large numbers of applicants in a single venue increases the risk of tragedy.
“We should be looking at other avenues, like splitting it so that too many people do not converge at one place,” Mr. Kotoko explained.
Addressing the deeper issues behind the disaster, he noted that many applicants are driven by economic necessity rather than a genuine desire to serve.
“Many people who are seeking recruitment into the services today are not doing that by reason of any sincere commitment to want to serve Ghana. Many are as a result of unemployment and want to find a way to survive. Ordinarily, if they had given people a choice, they would have opted for something else, but here they have no choice,” he said.
The El-Wak stampede on Wednesday, November 12, 2025, claimed six lives and injured 28 others, with five in intensive care and twelve in critical condition at the 37 Military Hospital.
Following the tragedy, the Ghana Armed Forces have suspended the recruitment exercise in Accra, while similar exercises in other regions continue.
