GAF Recruitment Resumes Today With Strict 1,200 Daily Cap After Deadly Stampede
Suspended exercise resumes with stricter safety protocols and a 1,200-applicant daily limit
- GAF resumes recruitment today after a one-week suspension due to a fatal stampede
- Daily screening capped at 1,200 applicants across five new centres
- Phased screening begins with verification and body checks under tightened safety protocols
The Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) will today, Thursday, November 20, 2025, restart its recruitment exercise in the Greater Accra Region after operations were halted at the El-Wak Sports Stadium due to a deadly stampede that claimed six lives on Wednesday, November 12.
President John Dramani Mahama directed an immediate suspension of the process following the incident, calling for a comprehensive review of safety protocols and a restructuring of the screening system to avert future tragedies.
Announcing the resumption, the GAF stated that enhanced safety measures have now been rolled out to ensure a controlled and secure exercise. A major step includes the establishment of five separate screening centres designed to ease crowd congestion and improve applicant flow.
Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin, Director-General of Public Affairs for the GAF, emphasized that the new system will strictly regulate the number of applicants allowed each day. She revealed that only 1,200 candidates will be screened daily.
“The numbers at El-Wak will not exceed 1,200. We will have two groups of 600 potential recruits each,” she explained.
She further noted that the exercise will span at least five days and will be executed in phases, beginning with applicant data verification and physical checks.
“The screening is in phases, and this is phase one, where we verify their information and conduct the body checks,” Captain Arhin added.
