El-Wak Stadium Tragedy: Youth Unemployment Reason For High Enlistment Turnout – Sir John

The opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP)’s Constituency First Vice Chairman for Atwima Nwabiagya South, John Kwame Duodu, also known as Sir John, has criticized the military recruitment process that led to the death of job seekers at the El-Wak Sports Stadium.

He expressed grief over the tragedy and urged the caretaker Minister of Defence, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, to launch a thorough inquiry to determine the actual cause of the incident.

Sir John blamed the incident on the centralization of the recruitment process, questioning the level of preparation and crowd control measures put in place ahead of the selection process.

“Previous governments have done it, but this is the first time I am seeing such a tragedy. It’s a clear indication that the process was not well-planned,” he said.

He raised concerns about the lack of batching for applicants, given the large turnout, and whether officers on duty handled the situation appropriately.

Sir John, who doubles as the NPP KG Advisory Group PRO, National Organizer for the Friends of Bawumia 2008 Foundation (FoB-’08), and patron of the Ashanti Regional TESCON, emphasized that future recruitment process should be transparent, fair, and safe for all applicants.

He criticized the NDC administration for not checking the consequences of the new process they introduced into the enlistment exercise in order to put in place mitigation measures that could have forestalled such unfortunate disaster. .

Sir John therefore called on the government, through the Ministry of Defense and Parliamentary Committee on Defense and Interior, to review the security recruitment process and put in place proper measures to avoid such incidents in future.

He noted that the youth involved were only seeking opportunities to serve their country and improve their lives, stressing that such aspirations should not end in tragedy.

The NPP stalwart attributed the high turnout of the military recruitment to the country’s high unemployment rate, calling on the government to introduce policies to create more jobs for the youth.

“The NPP government, when in power, created jobs for the youth through various initiatives. This NDC government led by His Excellency John Mahama, should come up with similar policies to address the rising unemployment in the country, particularly, among the youth,” he added.

Sir John also criticized the Pusiga MP, Hon Laadi Ayii Ayamba, for describing the tragedy as an act ordained by Allah.

“Such remarks are unhealthy for the victims’ families and Ghana as a whole. She should come out and apologize to Ghanaians for her comment,” he said.

He extended condolences to the bereaved families and wished the injured a speedy recovery, stating that “the pursuit of dreams and opportunities should not be perilous to any citizen’s life.”

 

 

 

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