Article: We Failed The El-Wak Stadium Stampede Victims – Isaac Essuman Write 

A devastating stampede at El-Wak Sports Stadium on Wednesday, 12th November 2025, has left families in mourning and raised serious questions about the management of the event.

The incident, in which 6 young girls seeking to join the military were killed and others injured, has been described by Isaac Essuman, a Right to Information Advocate as a tragic failure of the system, authorities, and society as a whole.

In his statement, Essuman expressed deep sorrow over the loss of life, emphasizing that the victims were not mere statistics but “daughters, sisters, friends and future leaders” with aspirations to serve Ghana with honor and dedication. “I am deeply moved by the weight of this tragedy and my heart aches for the families who lost their loved ones in that devastating stampede,” Essuman wrote, describing the event as a result of “negligence and a lack of care”.

Essuman highlighted the unimaginable grief of the families left behind — parents, siblings, and friends — who are now coping with the void created by the tragedy. “The pursuit of a dream led to tragedy because of the negligence of others,” he noted, questioning how the ambition to serve the nation turned into a death sentence for the young applicants.

Blame was squarely placed on the system and authorities for failing the victims. “The system failed these girls. The authorities failed them. We, as a society, failed them,” Essuman stated, expressing his emotional distress over the preventable incident.

The Right to Information Advocate called for accountability and urgent action to prevent such a tragedy from recurring. “We must do better. We must demand accountability. We must ensure that no more families have to go through this agony,” he said, urging Ghanaians to honor the memories of the victims by advocating for a safer and more compassionate country.

In his message of condolences to the families of the victims, Essuman said, “May you find strength in your grief and may the legacy of your loved ones spark change. May their dreams of service inspire us to be more vigilant, more caring and more committed to making a difference.”

The statement concluded with a prayer: “Lord, comfort the brokenhearted. Bring healing to the wounded and let justice roll down like waters.”

 

Read the full statement

I am deeply moved by the weight of this tragedy and my heart aches for the families who lost their loved ones in that devastating stampede on that fateful Wednesday, 12th November, 2025. As I listen to the heart-wrenching accounts of those young girls who dreamed of serving their country with honor, courage and dedication, I find myself overwhelmed with emotion. The thought of their aspirations, their potential and their futures cut short due to negligence and a lack of care is almost too much to bear.

 

The images of the survivors in the hospital, fighting for their lives, haunted by the memories of that tragic day, break me into pieces. The pain, the trauma and the loss are palpable, and it’s hard to comprehend how something like this could happen in a country that’s supposed to value life. These young girls weren’t just statistics; they were daughters, sisters, friends and future leaders. They had hopes, dreams and a burning desire to make a difference in their communities and country, Ghana.

 

What pains me even more is the thought of the families left behind, the parents who will never hear their child’s laughter again, the siblings who will never share a moment of joy with their loved one, the friends who will never experience the adventures they had planned. The grief they must be carrying is unimaginable. My heart goes out to them and I can only imagine the void that has been left in their lives.

 

It begs the question: How did we get here? How did we reach a point where the ambition to serve our nation becomes a death sentence? Where the pursuit of a dream leads to tragedy because of the negligence of others? The system failed these girls. The authorities failed them. We, as a society, failed them. The thought of it all feels like a heavy weight on my chest.

 

Tears fill my eyes whenever I come across the issue being discussed and I’m not ashamed to say I have cried for them. I have cried for the injustice of it all, for the lives lost and for the families torn apart. It’s a reminder that behind every headline, every statistic, there are real people with real stories, real dreams and real pain.

 

We must do better. We must demand accountability. We must ensure that no more families have to go through this agony. We must honor the memories of these young girls by fighting for a safer, more compassionate and more responsible Ghana.

 

To the families of the victims, my deepest condolences. May you find strength in your grief and may the legacy of your loved ones spark change. May their dreams of service inspire us to be more vigilant, more caring and more committed to making a difference.

 

Lord, comfort the brokenhearted. Bring healing to the wounded and let justice roll down like waters.

 

 

WATCH: Recruitment For Police, Prisons, Other Security Agencies Postponed

 

 

 

Below pictures of the victims were attached to the write-up. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By: Isaac Essuman (Minister Isaac)

Right to Information Advocate

 

 

 

 

 

 

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