Isaac Adongo on El-Wak Tragedy: Ghana’s Failure to Learn Lessons from Army Recruitment Stampede

Discover how Isaac Adongo highlights Ghana’s recurring issue of not implementing post-event reviews after incidents like the deadly El-Wak Stadium stampede, urging systemic improvements in planning and accountability.

Introduction

The El-Wak Stadium stampede during a Ghana army recruitment exercise has sparked national outrage, claiming six lives and injuring many others. Isaac Adongo, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Bolga Central and Chairman of the Finance Committee, used this tragedy to spotlight a deeper problem: Ghana’s apparent failure to learn lessons from previous incidents. Speaking on Joy News’ Newsfile program, Adongo described the event as a “national tragedy” while emphasizing the need for reflection and evaluation in public exercises.

This article breaks down Adongo’s critique, offering a pedagogical guide to understanding why post-event reviews are essential in high-stakes activities like military recruitment in Ghana. By examining the El-Wak tragedy context, we explore how consistent learning could prevent future army recruitment stampedes and similar disasters.

Analysis

Isaac Adongo’s commentary on the El-Wak Stadium incident reveals systemic shortcomings in Ghana’s approach to managing large-scale events. The stampede occurred amid an army recruitment drive, overwhelming the venue and leading to preventable deaths and injuries.

Context of the El-Wak Stampede

El-Wak Stadium in Accra became the site of chaos when thousands of applicants gathered for the Ghana Armed Forces recruitment. Reports confirm six fatalities and numerous injuries, underscoring vulnerabilities in crowd control and venue capacity during such exercises.

Adongo’s Core Argument: Absence of Learning Mechanisms

Adongo argues that Ghana repeatedly skips critical post-event evaluations. He notes that global standards for recruitment drives include mandatory reviews to identify improvements. In Ghana, however, past army recruitments—with applicant numbers exceeding 90,000 nationwide—avoided disasters through luck rather than robust planning.

Critique of Institutional Preparedness

Even the Ghana Armed Forces, renowned for discipline and execution, lack formalized evaluation protocols, according to Adongo. This gap extends beyond the military to all sectors handling public safety events.

Summary

In summary, Isaac Adongo views the El-Wak tragedy not as an isolated mishap but as evidence of Ghana’s national failure to learn from army recruitment stampedes and prior tragedies. He calls for mandatory reflections after every major exercise to enhance future safety and efficiency. This stance promotes accountability, urging institutions to replace reliance on chance with evidence-based improvements.

Key Points

Practical Advice

To address the issues raised by Isaac Adongo in the El-Wak tragedy context, organizations in Ghana can adopt structured approaches to learning from events like army recruitment drives. Here’s a step-by-step pedagogical guide:

Step 1: Establish Post-Event Review Protocols

Immediately after any recruitment or public gathering, form a review committee. Document attendance, venue capacity, security measures, and incident reports. Use tools like SWOT analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) to dissect what worked and what failed.

Step 2: Implement Data-Driven Improvements

Analyze metrics such as crowd density per square meter (ideal under 2 persons/m² for safety). For army recruitment in Ghana, stagger applicant arrivals via online registration to cap daily numbers at venue limits.

Step 3: Train Personnel on Best Practices

Conduct mandatory training on crowd management, drawing from International Labour Organization (ILO) guidelines or FIFA stadium safety standards. Simulate stampede scenarios to build response readiness.

Step 4: Monitor and Audit Recurring Events

Integrate annual audits into military recruitment planning. Share anonymized lessons across government sectors via a national database for public event safety.

These steps, if applied post-El-Wak stampede, could transform Ghana’s event handling from reactive to proactive.

Points of Caution

While critiquing the El-Wak tragedy, Isaac Adongo implicitly warns of risks in ignoring lessons learned:

• Overreliance on Luck: Past army recruitments succeeded by chance; escalating applicant numbers heighten stampede risks.
• Institutional Blind Spots: Even disciplined bodies like the Ghana Armed Forces may overlook evaluation without external pressure.
• Public Safety Erosion: Repeated failures erode trust in government processes, potentially deterring youth from military enlistment.
• Resource Misallocation: Unaddressed issues lead to higher emergency response costs, diverting funds from core services.

Crowds exceeding venue capacities by 50% or more, as seen in El-Wak, signal immediate dangers per global safety benchmarks.

Comparison

Adongo contrasts Ghana’s practices with international norms during his Newsfile appearance.

Ghana vs. Global Recruitment Standards

In countries like the UK or US, military recruitments feature pre-screening apps, zoned entry systems, and post-event debriefs mandated by law. The US Army’s After Action Review (AAR) process, used since World War II, ensures every exercise yields actionable insights.

Ghana’s Past Recruitments

Ghana’s 2023 recruitment drew over 90,000 applicants without fatalities, but without reviews, issues like El-Wak were predictable. Nigeria’s 2021 recruitment stampede, killing seven, prompted policy overhauls— a lesson Ghana could emulate.

Legal Implications

While Isaac Adongo’s comments focus on policy rather than litigation, the El-Wak stampede raises verifiable legal considerations under Ghanaian law. The Public Order Act (Act 491) requires permits for gatherings, implying organizer liability for safety failures. Negligence claims could arise under tort law if inadequate planning is proven, as in past cases like the 2017 Achimota Stadium incident. However, no specific lawsuits from El-Wak have been reported, emphasizing the need for preventive reforms over post-hoc legal action.

Conclusion

Isaac Adongo’s poignant remarks on the El-Wak Stadium tragedy encapsulate a call to action for Ghana: prioritize learning from army recruitment stampedes and all public events. By embedding evaluation mechanisms, the nation can honor the lost lives through safer futures. This shift demands commitment from leaders, military planners, and citizens alike, fostering a culture of continuous improvement in event management.

FAQ

Sources

• Life Pulse Daily: “We don’t seem to be finding out as a rustic – Isaac Adongo on El-Wak tragedy” (Published 2025-11-15).
• Joy News Newsfile Program Transcript (Aired post-El-Wak incident).
• Ghana Armed Forces Recruitment Guidelines (Official website).
• Public Order Act, 1994 (Act 491), Ghana.
• ILO Guidelines on Crowd Management (Verified international standards).