Sports Ministry defends renovation spending; counters Ablakwaâs accusations
The Ministry of Youth and Sports has issued a formal response to claims made by Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, Member of Parliament for North Tongu, regarding the alleged mismanagement of funds allocated for the renovation of Ghana’s national stadia.The Ministry’s statement follows comments made by the MP after the Confederation of African Football (CAF) revoked its approval for the Baba Yara Stadium due to the poor condition of the pitch.Ablakwa raised concerns on social media, questioning why Ghana was facing such sanctions despite the numerous contracts awarded for stadium renovations. He implied that funds had been wasted, particularly in light of the ongoing issues at Baba Yara Stadium.In a detailed reply, the Ministry described Ablakwa’s remarks as disingenuous, stating that the MP’s focus on the current state of the Baba Yara pitch ignores the significant structural work that has been completed at the Baba Yara, Accra, and Essipong stadia over the past six years.Recent social media publications by the Hon. Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, have alleged wastage of national resources by Government towards renovating national stadia. The publications by the MP sought to mislead the public that all these monies were paid without the corresponding work done, following recent issues with the Baba Yara pitch, the Ministrys release said.The Ministry proceeded to outline the extensive scope of renovation work carried out at the three major stadiaAccra, Baba Yara, and Essipongsince 2018. According to the statement, these upgrades were vital, particularly for the Accra Stadium, which had been described as a death trap due to years of neglect under the previous National Democratic Congress (NDC) administration from 2009 to 2017.The Ministry emphasized that since the renovations, both the Accra and Baba Yara stadia have successfully hosted numerous CAF and FIFA-sanctioned matches, contradicting Ablakwas claims that Ghana has been lacking in world-class facilities.The statement by the MP sought to create the impression that monies were wasted without work done. However, it should be noted that FIFA/CAF Category 2 and 3 matches, including the 2018 African Women’s Cup of Nations (AWCON), the 2019 AFCON qualifiers, the 2022 World Cup qualifiers, and the 2023 AFCON qualifying matches were played at both the Accra and Baba Yara Stadia respectively, the Ministry added.Moreover, the Ministry highlighted that Accra and Cape Coast stadia also served as venues for the football matches during the recently concluded 13th African Games, Accra 2023, further disproving Ablakwas accusations.In addressing Ablakwas criticisms, the Ministry pointed out that the previous administration, of which the MP was a member, failed to undertake any significant renovation works on these national facilities between 2009 and 2017, leaving them in a state of disrepair.The Ministry concluded by reaffirming its commitment to maintaining and upgrading the countrys sports infrastructure, noting that ongoing efforts are aimed at ensuring Ghana continues to host international events and promote sports development.
