The Secretary General of the Ghana Federation of Labour (GFL), Abraham Koomson, has called for swift sanctions against military officers who supervised the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) recruitment exercise at the El-Wak Sports Stadium, where a stampede claimed six lives and left many others injured.

Describing the incident as an avoidable disaster, Koomson said the stampede exposed glaring failures in planning, supervision, and crowd control by the Armed Forces.

Speaking on Ahotor FM’s ‘Yepe Ahunu’ show on Saturday, November 15, 2025, he expressed grave concern about the military’s handling of the exercise.

“I have serious issues with the military. They didn’t handle the situation well,” he stated, adding that officers responsible must be identified and held accountable.

He further urged regular psychological and medical evaluations for security personnel, stressing that troubling behaviour among some officers on duty underscores the need for periodic assessments.

Koomson also entreated the Armed Forces and other security agencies to overhaul their recruitment approach.

Rev Philip Kale, father of one of the six ladies who died in the El-Wak stampede speaks

He recommended decentralising the process, enforcing strict batch scheduling, and strengthening crowd-control measures to prevent such tragedies in the future.

The tragedy unfolded on Wednesday, November 12, during a GAF recruitment screening at El-Wak Stadium in Accra.

Thousands of applicants, many of whom had travelled long distances arrived before dawn, hours ahead of the scheduled start.

A sudden surge at one of the entry points triggered chaos, leading to a stampede.

Six young women lost their lives, while dozens sustained injuries.