Ntim Fordjour Demands Replacement for Ato Forson at Defence Ministry: “Crisis of Leadership”
- John Ntim Fordjour, the Assin South MP, has called on President John Mahama to appoint a permanent Defence Minister
- Fordjour's call comes after the El Wak stampede that killed six Ghana Armed Forces Applicants
- The legislator is concerned that there is too much pressure on Finance Minister Cassiel Ato Forson, who is also acting as Defence Minister
Assin South MP John Ntim Fordjour has urged the President to quickly fill the leadership gap at the Defence Ministry in the wake of the El Wak stampede.
He told YEN.com.gh there was a crisis of leadership at the ministry, given the vacancy made by the passing of Defence Minister Edward Omane Boamah.
Source: Facebook
The Minority has been calling for a permanent replacement for the leader of the Defence Ministry, which currently has Finance Minister Cassiel Ato Forson, as its acting minister.
“When we started calling for a substantive Minister for Defence ought to be appointed, the NDC did politics with it.”
The El Wak stampede, which killed six and injured over 25 people, came a day before the 2026 budget Forson was supposed to deliver.
Fordjour, who is also the Ranking Member on the Defence and Interior Committee in Parliament, believes that this was too much pressure for one official.
"How can he combine the Ministry of Defence with a busy complex ministry like the Ministry of Finance? The minister of finance is busy preparing the budget statement for tomorrow and sees what has happened."
"Such a sensitive portfolio in the national security architecture should not be toyed with so I am deeply disappointed.”
Army explains cause of El Wak stampede
After the stampede on November 12, the army blamed the incident on the breach by applicants who allegedly breached security protocols.
Thousands of applicants had moved to the stadium as part of the body selection process for recruitment into the armed forces.
The army stated that preliminary investigations indicate the stampede was triggered by an unexpected surge of applicants who breached security protocols and rushed into the gates ahead of the scheduled screening.
According to reports, it was only after the stampede that personnel cordoned off the area, with the military blocking all major roads leading to El Wak Stadium to maintain order and facilitate rescue operations.
Ntim Fordjour calls for Army recruitment suspension
Fordjour called for the Ghana Army's recruitment exercise to be suspended nationwide because of the deaths and injuries.
The government has since only suspended the exercise in the Greater Accra Region despite other safety incidents occurring outside of Accra.
Source: Facebook
He argued that proper measures needed to be put in place to ensure the safety of potential recruits.
The MP also called for a restructuring of the Army's screening process to ensure that there is less pressure at the centres.
Pusiga MP criticised over El Wak stampede remarks
YEN.com.gh reported that the Pusiga MP, Laadi Ayii Ayamba, came under heavy criticism following insensitive remarks about the stampede.
She put a faith-based slant on the tragedy, saying the deaths were part of Allah's plans and had already been determined.
Source: YEN.com.gh
