Sports Minister puts Accra Sports Stadium renovation on hold

Youth and Sports Minister, Isaac Kwame Asiamah has scheduled renovating the Accra Sports Stadium to September.

The minister announced that the stadium will be shut down after inspecting the stadium after he was ushered into office indicating the project will commence on June.

According to the member of parliament for the people of Atwima Mponua Nwabiegya in the Eastern Region, GPL stakeholders, including the Ghana Football Association (GFA) and the Ghana League Clubs Association (GHALCA), prevailed upon his outfit to commence renovation works after September.

"GHALCA came to me with GFA executives and we sat down, Accra Hearts of Oak also wrote to us that we should let them, at least, finish the league so that we can begin the project," Mr Asiamah told the Graphic Sports.

"So, based on the understanding that all of us reached we are holding on with the renovation now to ensure that the league is completed, so when it is completed we can move on with the renovations, so that is the agreement we have".

He further indicated that the VVIP and the media stand will remain closed to spectators till renovations works were undertaken.

"As I told you we are going to do the renovation in phases, along the line we had a meeting with stakeholders. The agreement we have reached with stakeholders is that we are now closing the VVIP stands of the stadium that is where we have massive corrosion because of the sea.

"For now to protect life and property and for our own safety to avoid any disaster the Ministry has decided that that VVIP area should be closed down, so it’s been closed down nobody is going to sit there to watch any tournament till we are done with the renovation of that facility".

Mr Asiamah also disclosed that the Ministry of Youth and Sports would install a fibreglass roofing to combat corrosion as part of the renovation of the Accra Sports Stadium.

"We are thinking of fibreglass renovation for the entire roofing, that is solid and can resist corrosion and everything, we are not just going to paint and leave it.

"We are going to ensure that we have a facility that can stand the test of time. When you have fibreglass it can last for about 50, 60 years without being damaged so that is what we are going to do”, Mr Asiamah added.