Minister of Youth and Sports Isaac Asiamah
The Minister of Youth and Sports Isaac Asiamah has hinted that the government will by June this year begin renovating the stadia in Ghana.
During a visit to the Ohene Gyan Sports Stadium in Accra on Tuesday, the Minister said “renovation of the stadia will start in June. It will be done in phases. We will start with the critical ones. I mean those need urgent attention. Our mission as a government is to provide sports infrastructure and provide sports stadia in the remaining regions that do not have it especially Volta region
According to him, his visit was aimed at assessing the situation for himself and not to complain and finding ways of dealing with the situation.
“As the minister of youth and sports, I am not here to complain or lament but was elected to fix the problems. We are here to fix the challenges. That is what we are going to do as a ministry. I am waiting for my deputy to be sworn in so that we can start the work together. We are here to inspect the facilities and see how best we can maintain them. Many of the facilities have been deteriorated. It has been totally neglected”, he observed.
The 40,000-seater Ohene Djan Sports Stadium in Accra in particular is fast deteriorating and could serve as a death trap to patrons.
A looming disaster awaits the nation if managers of the facility and government fail to take immediate steps to address the architectural challenges that have saddled the national stadium which received a facelift in 2007 ahead of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) hosted by Ghana in 2008.
A visit to the facility revealed that metals used in erecting sections of the stands including the stretch towards Osu are corroding as managers look on helpless.
The situation is not any different from the playing pitch as the green grass is giving way to the unfavourable weather with no record of when it was last watered to enhance any growth.
They pitch isn’t the best and lacks consistent watering due to lack of water available with visible broken seats at the stands, malfunctioning of the scoreboard and general structural defects creating doubts about the lifespan of the facility.
