Deputy Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the National Petroleum Authority (NPA), Dr. Dramani Bukari, has urged the public to refrain from harsh criticism of the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) as investigations into the Ghana Armed Forces exercise that left six people dead and dozens injured continue.
The El-Wak Sports Stadium stampede prompted calls for caution and reform, with Dr. Bukari acknowledging that the tragedy exposed weaknesses in the recruitment system. However, he emphasized that only a thorough inquiry could produce meaningful reforms and called on people to remain calm while investigations were underway.
He explained that the ongoing investigation may reveal issues previously unconsidered and guide the transformation of recruitment processes, noting the importance of allowing investigators to complete their work.
“We all believe that what actually happened revealed a flaw in the recruitment processes and even preparation towards the recruitment process, and nobody is hiding that under the carpet.
“But I will urge that we minimise the castigation and ensure that we allow the investigation to go on; otherwise, we can impede the investigation process in terms of diluting the mindset of people”
Dr. Dramani Bukari, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of NPA
Dr. Bukari described the incident as “unfortunate” and said it should serve as a wake-up call for reforming the country’s security recruitment process, believing that future recruitment exercises will be safer and more structured as a result.
“I haven’t seen any recruitment exercise in the country that was engulfed with such a tragedy. This is a major incident that would offer us the opportunity to learn and transform recruitment processes nationwide. So reform should be expected going forward, and reform should happen in the interest of the Ghanaian people”
Dr. Dramani Bukari, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of NPA
Commending Government’s Response
Following the tragedy, the military confirmed six deaths and 28 injuries, with five people in the Intensive Care Unit and 12 in critical condition at the 37 Military Hospital and President Mahama subsequently suspended the recruitment exercise pending a review of procedures.
The government also, during official visits to the families of the deceased, instructed them to submit names of qualified relatives for automatic recruitment into the Ghana Armed Forces.
Dr. Bukari commended President John Dramani Mahama for both initiatives, describing them as a step in the right direction, especially for halting the recruitment process in Accra right after the tragedy.
He pointed out that halting the process, and ensuring that there is a review allows the exercise to resume under a more transparent and safe manner, in the interest of all stakeholders. “The government, on its own, has shown a lot of commitment to ensure that this doesn’t happen again,” he said.
Speaking further on compensation for the victims, Dr. Bukari explained that the government’s approach aligns with standard practice, adding that while the incident was tragic, it offers an opportunity for institutional learning and reform.
“It’s not possible that the Ghana Armed Forces would have gone into an activity like this without a plan,” he said, signaling that whatever went wrong with the process needs to be seriously tackled to address the gaps in the system.
Stressing that proper planning is essential in large-scale operations, Dr. Bukari urged that the tragedy must lead to safer and more efficient recruitment exercises nationwide, not just in Accra, where the stampede took place.
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