Accra Stadium is a death trap – Aziz Haruna

Former Hearts of Oak Management Member, Aziz Haruna Futah, has expressed disappointment at the level of maintenance of the Accra Sports Stadium, 13 years after the May 9th Disaster, stating that the edifice is a death trap and still not safe enough to preserve the safety of fans, in case of another Stadium Tragedy.

On May 9th, 2001, 127 Ghanaian football fans died at the Accra Sports Stadium during a Premier League match between Hearts of Oak and Asante Kotoko after an act of hooliganism triggered the firing of canisters of tear gas and rubber bullets by the Police officers on duty.

After 17 hearings, the Sam Okudzeto Commission presented its report to government, making recommendations for the safety of the edifice.

But 7 years after the reconstruction of the Accra Sports Stadium and the other three national stadia in Sekondi, Tamale and Kumasi for the hosting of the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations, there have been cracks on the walls and rusts to the metallic structures of the edifice.

“I think that our problem is maintenance. It’s very dangerous because if you look at the place it is not safe. All the place has rusted. If you respect your supporters, you will not wait for something to happen before you can do something about it,” Aziz Futah told Power FM.

“Some of us cannot stay home when football is going on. If something happens, it is dangerous. This is a death trap,” he added.

The Sports Minister Hon. Elvis Afriyie Ankrah recently revealed that his Ministry was awaiting a comprehensive budget from the Advanced Engineering Solution Limited Ghana (AESL) to facilitate the refurbishment of the four national stadia.