A routine recruitment exercise at the El-Wak Sports Stadium in Accra turned tragic when a stampede due to overcrowding led to the deaths of six individuals and injuries to several others.
Thousands of young men and women had thronged to the stadium with hopes of enlisting in the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF).
In Kumasi, there are additional reports of stampedes at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium, but only three injuries were reported.
Public commentary in Ghana has ranged from sorrow to anger as most question the coordination of the recruitment exercise.
The current practice in the country requires prospective recruits to purchase forms online, fill out their details, and troop physically to a location of their choice to complete the enlistment process.
In other jurisdictions, the enlistment process is free and constant, compared to Ghana, where recruitment dates are announced.
Why does the country’s top military institution charge applicants for the privilege of applying? And does this practice need to change?
Fees for Forms Required for Recruitment
According to the current Deputy Minister of Defense, Ernest Brogya Genfi, the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) is recruiting 12,000 personnel as part of a massive expansion drive over the next three years.
Mr. Genfi stated that the cost of application forms would be dropped by 40% (from the previous GHC 350) to make it more affordable, accessible, and fair. The current fees cost GHC 200.
Yet even with the reduction, the fact remains: applicants must pay to get the form at all.
Globally, it is uncommon for prospective recruits to pay anything to apply to enlist in the Armed Forces.
Most countries provide military application/enlistment forms for free (online or at recruitment centres).
Ghana, historically, has charged fees for recruitment forms. Nigeria, in the past, has also required payment of fees for forms. But it has varied over time.
In a country where youth unemployment hovers at precarious levels and many young people are desperate for stable jobs, the fee becomes a barrier as well as a filter.
The argument for continued fees is to cover printing, verification, and processing applications by the Defense Ministry.
But the argument overshadows the fact that enlistment appears to give a perception of job security rather than an act of service to the country.
Transparency, fairness — and the impression of pay-to-play
The argument can be made that charging for forms helps deter frivolous applicants. But that logic only holds if the process is transparent, equitable, and well-managed.
GAF itself has warned that “recruitment into the Ghana Armed Forces is NOT for sale” and pledged to pursue fraudulent syndicates.
However, in the past, there have been reports of applicants being given preferential treatment by politicians and insiders.
Kennedy Agyapong, a former member of parliament and aspiring flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), in a recent video, alleged that the recruitment process by the Armed Forces is a “facade“, arguing that the current process is to appear open and fair.
“The sad part in all this is that they have already selected persons for the recruitment. I am a politician, and I can tell you that what is currently ongoing is a facade,” he said.
But when so many young people are paying for forms and then waiting in lengthy lines for hours — often with minimal guarantee of screening or selection — the perception can drift toward “if you pay, you’re in” or “only those who pay and know someone stand a chance.”
That perception erodes trust.
Ghana Passport Office Blueprint
The Ghana Passport office, which employed a process where applicants had to be physically present to process their applications, now uses a digital system.
Applications not only pay their fees online but can also select a preferred day to book an appointment to complete the process.
If a similar measure were employed by the GFA, it could guarantee the number of in-person recruits and help with crowd control.
Currently, the GAF has suspended the recruitment process for the time being, but what new measures they will incorporate to prevent similar incidents remains to be seen.
Backdrop of Helicopter Incident
The recent incident at the El-Wak stadium comes after the release of the report on the Z9 Helicopter crash, which resulted in the deaths of the Minister of Defense and other prominent individuals.
In the report, the crash was attributed to a local of additional features of the helicopter which can have aided the pilots to navigate bad weather and poor visibility.
The report recommended the purchase of additional features for military helicopters to avoid future incidents.
With the tragedy of the El-Wak incident, the GAF needs to look at upgrading its processes to avoid unnecessary deaths like this in the future. There doesn’t need to be a substantive review to see that this current process might be outdated.
