An Olympic-size stadium started by the
National Redemption Council (NRC) regime, led by General I.K Acheampong has
been abandoned at Aklomuase, a suburb of Agormanya, in the Lower Manya Krobo
Municipality of the Eastern Region.
The
40,000-seater facility initiated in 1974 has, in its blue print, facilities
including a football pitch, a dressing room, a swimming pool, a tennis court
and athletic tracks.
The
stadium which was expected to serve as the home ground of the defunct Akotex
Football Club (FC) is now enveloped in weeds and the immediate surroundings
encroached upon by members of the community for farming activities.
The
one-and-half mile radius partially-walled land also has some parts of its wall
collapsed while other parts developed extensive cracks. Cements blocks, pillars
and some electrical cables which extended electricity to the area have also
disappeared under the cover of darkness.
An
opinion leader in the area and a former counselor in then Manya Krobo District
Council, Mr. Sas George, who was part of the project from the beginning, told
this reporter that two districts, the Yilo Krobo and the Manya Krobo were
considered in a proposal on the location of the stadium.
He
explained that he managed to lobby someone who had the ears of the government,
Mr. Walter Esposito, a former Managing Director of the Akosombo Textiles
Limited (ATL) and owners of Akotex FC to have the project sited at its present
location because the land was flat compared to the Yilo Krobo lands.
He
said with the influence of Nene Okpatakla Sasraku III, a Divisional Chief of
the area, the land for the project was acquired from three families who were
not even compensated.
According
to him, the then former Chairman of the National Sports Council (NSC), Mr R.T
Poobe-Orleans led a team to inspect the land, and subsequently a contract was
awarded for the project to begin.
He
stated that “the construction of the inner perimeter was how far the project
went before General Acheampong was overthrown, bringing the project to a
standstill.” Mr. George noted that in order to revive the project, he wrote a
letter to the late Mr. Osei Kwaku, a former minister in the New Patriotic Party
(NPP) government on how useful the project could be to the country.
He
said in response, the minister designated the former acting Chief Executive of
the NSC, Mr. Albert Agbozo, to handle the issue adding that Mr. Agbozo was at
the site to inspect the project with an assurance to “have something done about
it.”
He
said a memorandum on the inspection was then submitted to the former Deputy
Minister of Sports, Mr O.B Amoah. Mr George stated that “since then I have not
heard anything official about the fate of the project”.
The
Chief Executive of the Lower Manya Krobo District, Mr. Isaac Agbo Tetteh, in an
in an interview with the Daily Graphic said the last attempt at reviving the
project was when his predecessor, Hon David Asare Sackitey brought in the Architecture Engineering
Services Limited (AESL) to conduct feasibility studies on the project adding
that “nothing serious has since happened.”
He
said in the short term, the district would clear the site, complete its wall
and use it as sporting centre for the basic schools in the district. “We would
then liaise with the Ministry of Youth and Sports (MoYS) to see what could be
done in the long term.”
Meanwhile all attempts to get the former DCE,
Hon Sackitey to speak on the issue proved futile.
The
Chief Executive of the National Sports Council, Mr Worlanyo Agrah, for his
part, said he does not know about the existence of the project. He, however,
maintained that he would look into it and make the appropriate recommendations.
The
Minister of Sports, Mr. Rahid Pelpuo, in a telephone interview said he was
ignorant about the existence of the project but stated that “if I am officially
informed about it, I will send people to inspect it and if it is confirmed, we
will start plans to revive it.”
He
said one of the government objectives for sports in the country was to have an
Olympic-size stadium built for the country. He said the government was in a
bilateral talk with its development partners to secure funding for the purpose.
He stated that “the government is committed to building a stadium in each
region to add to other sporting facilities for all districts.”
Graphic
Sports, Tuesday Jan 12, 2009, Pg 7
No comments:
Post a Comment