MOYS ministers called for maintenance unit at youth centers

Mr Isaac K. Asiamah, the Minister of Youth and Sports, has tasked Mr Emmanuel Sin-nyet Asigri, the Chief Executive Officer(CEO) of the National Youth Authority(NYA), to create a maintenance unit for the proposed Multipurpose Youth Centre in Dormaa-Ahenkro, to ensure periodic maintenance of the facility.

He said a lot of lessons have been learnt over the years, through neglect and the poor maintenance and management culture suffered by sports infrastructure in the country such as the Azumah Nelson Kaneshie Sports Complex and Accra Sports Stadium and others which needed to be dealt with.

"An amount of GHC 700 million is being pumped into the Multipurpose Youth Centre project in Dormaa-Ahenkro. It's important we keep the centre in good conditions and rehabilitate those that have deteriorated after suffering years of neglect," he stated.

Mr Asiamah was addressing a gathering to cut sod for the construction of a Multipurpose Youth Centre in Dormaa-Ahenkro.

"The Akufo Addo government sees and recognises the immense contribution sports can bring to the socio-economic development of the nation, which is why it still wants to commit to the development of many sporting infrastructure across the country," he added.

The minister stated that the facility would not only be used for only sporting activities but also as a counselling, ICT and entrepreneurship centre to help identify and nurture the talents of the youth for job creation and their personal development in future.

The facility, he stated although would be situated in Dormaa would serve the entire Brong Ahafo Region stressing there were plans by the Akuffo Addo government to construct similar centres in other parts of the region as well as a FIFA standard football pitch in Sunyani soon after the proposed center is completed.

The Youth Centre's features include an eight lane olympic standard lane, floodlight, volleyball, basketball, handball and lawn tennis courts and a gymnasium/fitness centre.

The project is sited at Abogisua, in the Dormaa Central Municipality of the Brong Ahafo Region.

He urged the residents to carefully monitor the progress of work of the project and report anything untoward, inconsistencies, and lapses militating against the construction of the project which has only nine months to be completed.

Mr. Asiamah praised the efforts of Osagyefo Oseadeyo Agyemang Badu II, the Dormaahene for his contribution to football in the country, and in playing an instrumental role in particular for Aduana Stars Football Club who are Ghana's only representative in Africa in the Confederation of African Football Confederation Cup Campaign.

Mr. Joe Hackman, the Lead Consultant of the Project, said there's sufficient and ready funding available for the execution of the project dismissing views it is likely to stall as a normal characteristic of state funded projects due to shortages of funds.

He said the contractor has up to two weeks within which to organise and mobilise himself to start construction works on site.

Osagyefo Oseadeyo Agyemang Badu II, the Paramount Chief of Dormaa Traditional Area, who presided, thanked the government for choosing Dormaa to put up the facility.

He appealed for more infrastructure to enhance the development of the area.

K. K. A. Dwamena Company Limited is the project contractor. The Sports Minister in the company of the Regional Minister, Dormaahene, Dormaa MCE and other chiefs to later cut the sod for construction works to begin.