By Daniel Bampoe
A statement by Mrs Ayamba Ayii Laadi, Member of Parliament for Pusiga, has stirred controversy following her remarks on the El-Wak Military Sports Stadium stampede, which claimed six lives and left dozens injured during the Ghana Armed Forces recruitment exercise earlier this week.
Addressing Parliament during deliberations on the tragedy, Ayii Laadi urged Ghanaians to take solace in faith, insisting that the victims’ deaths were part of “Allah’s divine plan” and could not have been prevented by human intervention.
“Today is the day the Almighty Allah ordained for them to die,” she said on the floor of Parliament. “Even if all the presidents of the world were present, nothing could have changed what was written for them. It was their day.”
Her remarks, while expressing religious consolation, have sparked mixed reactions from lawmakers and the public — with some describing her statement as a reflection of deep faith, and others condemning it as insensitive and dismissive of institutional responsibility.
Tragedy
The El-Wak stampede occurred on Wednesday, November 12, 2025, during the documentation and physical screening phase of the Ghana Armed Forces’ nationwide recruitment exercise.
Thousands of hopeful applicants, many of whom had traveled long distances, gathered at the El-Wak Sports Stadium in Accra for a chance to join the military.
According to reports, the crowd surged uncontrollably when gates were opened for entry, leading to a stampede that left six dead and 34 others injured.
Among the casualties were young men and women between the ages of 18 and 26 — most of whom were seeking stable employment in Ghana’s security services amid a growing youth unemployment crisis.
The Ministry of Defence, led by Acting Minister Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, has since suspended recruitment activities in Accra and announced an internal Board of Inquiry to investigate the causes of the tragedy.
Ayii Laadi’s Religious Perspective
In her remarks, the Pusiga MP — known for her strong Islamic faith — emphasized that the incident should not be seen merely through the lens of institutional blame or mismanagement but as part of a divine will that no human could avert.
“There is no single officer who wanted even one soul to die,” she said. “Unless you do not believe in the oneness of God, you must understand that this was not anyone’s doing. This is the decree of Almighty Allah.”
Ayii Laadi called for calm and prayer for the families of the deceased, noting that while the loss is painful, believers must accept it as “the will of God.”
Public Reaction and Criticism
However, her comments have generated heated debate among citizens, with many questioning whether invoking divine will should absolve state institutions of accountability.
Social media platforms have been flooded with reactions, with some users describing her statement as “a theological truth expressed at the wrong time,” while others accused her of insensitivity to the victims’ families.
