El-Wak Tragedy: Ntim Fordjour partly blames Stampede on Lack of Substantive Defence Minister

Ranking Member on Parliament’s Defence and Interior Committee, Rev. John Ntim Fordjour, has blamed the tragic incident at the El-Wak Sports Stadium partly on the government’s failure to appoint a substantive Minister for Defence.

Speaking on JoyNews Midday News on Wednesday, Rev. Fordjour said the absence of leadership at the ministry following the death of Dr Omane Boamah in a helicopter crash on August 6 has created a dangerous administrative vacuum.

“It is so sad that when the Minority constantly gives suggestions that need to be taken into consideration, all in the name of goodwill, it is not considered,” he lamented.

“We are talking about the Defence Ministry. For three months, there has been no proper leadership at the ministry, and we have said it again and again: appoint a substantive Minister for Defence to ensure proper leadership. No seriousness was added to it,” he stated.

Rev. Fordjour described the situation as “very dangerous and risky,” arguing that a substantive minister could have provided the needed direction to ensure a well-coordinated recruitment process and possibly prevent the tragedy.

He also criticised the decision to assign Finance Minister Atto Forson as acting Defence Minister, saying the dual role leaves little room for effective oversight.

“The Finance Minister is busy thinking about the budget he is going to present to Parliament tomorrow. The Ministry of Finance is a very complex portfolio, one of the largest in any country, and if you appoint the Finance Minister as an acting Defence Minister, knowing the workload on him, and expect proper leadership, then you’re being disingenuous and not faithful to your people,” he argued.

Rev. Fordjour called for an immediate appointment of a substantive minister to restore leadership stability within the Defence Ministry and avert future mishaps.

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DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.