A Call for Dignity: Honoring the Fallen of El Wak

In the aftermath of the tragic stampede at Accra’s El Wak Stadium, voices from the Ghanaian diaspora have risen with compassion and conviction. The Organization of Ghanaians Abroad (OGHA), the Ghana Traditional Council in France, and the Ghanaian Community in France Council (GHACIF) have united in a solemn appeal to the President of the Republic of Ghana and Commander-in-Chief of the Ghana Armed Forces, H.E. John Dramani Mahama.

Their request is simple yet profound: that every Ghana Armed Forces applicant who perished in the disaster be posthumously enlisted with the rank of Military Sergeant. Furthermore, they urge that families who so desire be granted the right to lay their loved ones to rest in designated GAF cemeteries.

This appeal is not merely administrative. It is a plea for dignity, a recognition of lives lost in pursuit of service to country. These young women whose dreams ended in tragedy, carried within them the hope of defending Ghana’s sovereignty. To honor them posthumously is to affirm that their sacrifice, though unintended, was not in vain.

The diaspora leaders emphasize that this is the least honor owed to the fallen. To confer rank upon them is to restore a measure of the pride they sought in uniform. To open the gates of military cemeteries to their families is to ensure that grief is met with respect, and that remembrance is anchored in national solidarity.

This call is signed with reverence by:

• Hon. Osei-Mensa Michael, President of GHACIF and OGHA
• Nana Ansah Sasraku, Ghanafohene in France
• Ohemaa Ajoakour, Ghanafohemaa in France, Ghana Traditional Council, France
• Hajia Najat Azu, Vice-President of GHACIF and NDC France Women’s Organizer

Their collective voice reminds us that tragedy must not end in silence. It must be met with compassion, justice, and the assurance that Ghana remembers her children.

In honoring the fallen of El Wak, the nation would not only comfort grieving families but also reaffirm the sacred bond between citizen and state , a bond that values every life, even when cut short in pursuit of service.

Source: Sankofaonline.com