Accra, Jan 20, GNA - The Local Organizing Committee (LOC) of Ghana CAN 2008 is considering involving all stakeholders in the development of sports as part of elaborate plans to make the event a successful one.
The strategy is to position all in a better position to benefit from the legacies of the tournament.
Lepowura Alhaji Mohammed Nurudeen Jawula, the Vice Chairman of the LOC said this during the launch of the countdown to the opening ceremony of the Ghana CAN 2008 at the Ohene Djan Sports Stadium in Accra on Saturday.
The Vice Chairman said the LOC has held initial discussions with the Metropolitan Chief Executives of the four venue cities, the executives of the Sports Writers Association of Ghana (SWAG) and the Ghana League Clubs Association (GHALCA) among others in the quest to reach out to all stakeholders in the successful organization of the tournament. He disclosed that contacts has also been made with the various religious bodies especially in Accra to help sensitize their followers on the need for all individuals to see themselves as watchdogs to ensure the neighbourhood's sanitation.
Lepowura Jawula said that the occasion has become opportune with exactly a year to the tournament, since works on the Ohene Djan and the other Stadia have almost reached completion levels thus making it insignificant to give anybody any discomfort.
The LOC Vice-Chairman said that the progress so far made confirms the commendation of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) inspection team to Accra last year in its report to the Association's Executive Committee.
"CAF's confidence in the LOC to deliver on all the requirements are indeed a testimony of how far Ghana has gone to honour her obligations even in the areas that give concern."
Alhaji Jawula said that the objective of the LOC is to make ensure that every Ghanaians living everywhere is easily reached to get the chance of identifying with the tournament.
He said it is in pursuant of such an agenda that regions and locations that may be far removed from the venue centres have been brought under the spheres of the various 91Venue Organizing Committees' (VOC) to make them achieve the needed success. Lepowura Jawula explained that the Accra-VOC will have the responsibility of dealing with the entire Greater Accra Region, Volta Region, parts of the Eastern Region that is closer to Accra and parts of the Central Region that is also closer to Accra.
The Kumasi-VOC's sphere of influence will encompass all of the Ashanti Region and extend to the Brong Ahafo Region, part of the Central Region and to include such towns as Fosu, Nsuta, Mansu and part of the Eastern Region to include Nkawkaw and its environs. The Tamale-VOC will cater for the Northern and Upper Regions whilst the Sekondi-Takoradi-VOC will cater for the entire Western and Central Regions and to encompass Cape Coast, Mankessim and Winneba. Alhaji Jawula said that all the areas and their inhabitants will be expected to lend their support by joining with the LOC and the Government to support the programmes that have been lined up. The agencies include the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF), Ghana Poverty Reduction Strategy (GPRS) II, Right To Play and the AIDS Commission among others to drive issues of poverty, underdevelopment, unemployment, roll back malaria and other killer diseases out of the communities.
The Vice Chairman assured all and sundry that Ghana is very well positioned to deliver a world class tournament that will 91make all our compatriots everywhere desire to stand up to be counted'.
Mr. Osei Bonsu Amoah, Deputy Minister of Education, Science and Sports who launched the countdown also gave the assurance that Ghana would be ready for the competition, come next year January. At the ceremony were some members of the LOC Board, President of the Ghana Football Association (GFA), Kwesi Nyantakyi and Stuart Ward, Project Manager of Michelletti and Co, the contractors of the Ohene Djan stadium as well as a host of media personnel.
