Naming Tamale Stadium after Aliu Mahama was purely political - Abbey Pobi

A football administrator, Jonathan Abbey Pobi has slammed the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), for renaming the Tamale Sports Stadium after the late Alhaji Aliu Mahama, a former vice president under Kufour’s administration.

He says the current administration failed to do a broad stakeholder consultation before taking the decision and has described it as purely political.

President Akufo-Addo signed an Instrument to rename the Tamale Sports Stadium to Aliu Mahama Sports Stadium, in honour of the late Aliu Mahama, the former Vice President.

The renaming is part of the fifth-anniversary celebration of his passing. “It is proper to name after it the former Vice President to recognize his immense contribution to the development and promotion of sports, particularly, football," the Instrument said.

It added, "his significant contribution to the construction and development of the Stadium and his commitment to ensuring discipline and inspiring leadership in the youth of Ghana.”

The ceremony was officially led by the current Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia.

In his speech he said, ‘’ H.E. Alhaji Aliu Mahama was a true patriot, nationalist, philanthropist, and a sports champion. He was instrumental in ensuring that the stadium got built in Tamale to support the development of sports in the North. He also played a critical role in unifying several teams into one first class team called Real Tamale United that became a force to reckon with in the football league. He supported many sports men and women such as Abedi Pele and others to rise in their respective sporting careers.’’

I am happy that this glorious day has arrived. This memorable action is also a fulfillment of a campaign pledge that we made during the 2016 election to rename the Tamale Sports Stadium after the late Alhaji Aliu Mahama.

However, in an interview with Rainbow Sports, Mr. Pobi, likened the renaming to a political appointment where the NDC would appoint its own people as well the NPP appointing its own people.

‘’It is politically motivated. Ghanaians have not agreed to this and so I will describe it as a decision by the NPP. They decided to rename the stadium after the late leader for their own political interest. The one they named it after was a member of the NPP that is why I have referred to it as a political appointment,’’ he said.

The late Aliu Mahama was a native Dagbon, who served as President John Agyekum Kufuor's Vice President from 2001 – 2008.