The Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) has rejected claims that individuals injured during the recent EL-Wak incidents have been enlisted into military training, stressing that only candidates who are fully recovered and meet health standards are allowed to participate.

Speaking to JoyNews' Stephen Mensah in an interview on March 18, the Acting Director General of the Department of Public Relations, Naval Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin, clarified that the 18 recruits currently undergoing training have all passed rigorous medical evaluations and meet the military’s strict requirements.

She emphasised that the Ghana Armed Forces would never allow unfit individuals to undergo training, given its physical intensity and potential risks. Candidates who are not fully recovered could face serious injuries, or in extreme cases, life-threatening situations.

“Some of them have fully recovered, and they went through the process, and they meet the military's standard.

We will not recruit anybody who is not very healthy because the training is very rigorous, and such a person could even get hurt or maybe even lose their lives. So the 18 are those who have fully recovered and meet our training standard,” Captain Arhin said.

She further explained that the inclusion of the 18 recruits in the training process is based solely on their full recovery and ability to meet the demanding requirements.

“That is why they were included. So we are not fielding injured people. These are people who are fully recovered. So that is why they are part of the process as we speak.”

The clarification comes amid public scrutiny over recruitment procedures, with many seeking assurance that only qualified and healthy applicants are enlisted.