Let's share the fun and economic benefits of Ghana 2008

A GNA Feature by Edmund Quaynor

Koforidua, Nov. 27, GNA - One of the many historical events that all Ghanaians are expecting next year is the organization of the MTN Ghana 2008 African Nations Cup soccer fiesta in the country.

For the members of the soccer fraternity, the fiesta would be a time for the country to make history and enjoy the fun of seeing almost all the best football nations on the Continent for this historical time and their best soccer stars exhibit their talents on the field. The fiesta is also the time for the country to showcase the best that it has in almost everything to the world and to mobilize all the immediate economic benefit associated with the fiesta and if possible all other benefits that could be generated from the tournament in the future.

However, the future benefit would to a large extent depend on how the country organizes and present itself during the tournament. This, therefore, calls for efforts to ensure that the whole country is involved in the show to enable the greater number of the citizens to also benefit directly or indirectly from the economic gains of the tournament.

To ensure that greater number of citizens of the country share in the economic exploits of the tournament brings to mind, the issue of provision of accommodation to the many fans and soccer businessmen and businesswomen who would be coming to the country during the tournament. There are a lot of media publications about problems of provision of suitable accommodation for the visitors in Takoradi and Tamale while in Accra people are being encouraged to give out their homes to be rented out to the visitors. There is an advertisement on the internet of promoters who claim they could arrange for people to live in with some families.

There is a saying that "coming events cast their shadows", the truth is that one cannot guarantee the sexual orientation, religious, moral and ethical values of the visitors by just looking at their faces. Already the country has had a test of some embarrassing sexual scandals involving visitors to the country which are before the courts and so one need not say much about them.

To avoid such embarrassing events to both the country and the visitors, it would be good for all to ensure that the visitors are put up in hotels where there are facilities to contain them for the country to save the youth, sisters, wives and mothers from some embarrassing experiences.

A well plan strategy could ensure that the visitors are spread out in hotels throughout the country. It would not be out of place for example if the hotel facilities at Accra are not adequate, arrangements are made for some of the visitors like coaches whose teams are not playing but have come to watch the matches in Accra together with scouts and other football administrators who have the resources are put up at hotels in Ada, Sogarkope and other hotels along that route where within two hours they could be in Accra.

Similarly some of the visitors could be put up in hotels within the Southern part of the Eastern Region, along the Akosombo stretch, the Akwapim Area even up to Koforidua and even in hotels at the eastern part of Central Region up to Swedru.

Visitors who want to watch matches in Takoradi could be housed in hotels in Central Region even up to Cape Cost. In the same vain, visitors to watch matches in Tamale could be housed in hotels in Bolgatanga. Fans to watch matches in Kumasi could also be spread to good hotels throughout the Ashanti Region and parts of the Brong Ahafo Region. The most important aspect of such arrangements is to ensure that the visitors are housed within areas where the travelling time is about two hours.

Such arrangements would require that the whole country is prepared to receive the visitors and not only the towns where the matches would be taking place. The national secur ity system also has to be reorganized to ensure that the visitors received adequate protection at the hotels, on the roads and at the matches. It is not too late to prepare. It is important to state that the refurbishing of facilities would provide job for the boys. The visitors would come and go, but the repainting of facilities, the repairs of damaged roads and the cleaning of the environment in preparation for the visitors and during their stay with would remain. The spreading of the visitors through out the country would help to spread the fan and economic benefits of the tournament throughout the country.

The other advantage is that the country could present the best that it has to the visitors and prevent the situation that the organizers due to geographical limitations would be forced to present even average facilities to the visitors.

There is an argument that spreading the visitors across the country also has the problem of exposing some of the youth and ladies of the country to the sex trade and sexually transmitted infections. Though there is another counter argument that even if the visitors are concentrated in the venues for the matches such threats are still there , the best option left for the nation is to embark on a vigorous media campaign in the local languages on the threats of the HIV/AIDS and its dangerous effect on the individual and the society as a whole before the tournament and during the period.

The spreading of the visitors around the country could enable the country to take advantage to advertise the tourist facilities of the country and on free days when matches are not being played at certain venue, the food and beverage industry, the musical industry and the district assemblies could package musical and cultural concerts. The country needs to start serous preparation of its transport system to be able to provide the necessary support for the organization of the tournament.

Special training need to be organized for the members of the various private transport unions on how they could conduct their activities. The training should not be limited to only drivers in the car hiring industry alone but to also those providing the trotro services. Let the Ghana CAN 2008 soccer fiesta be a shared economic gain and soccer fun to all. 27 Nov. 07