Olympic Stadium abandoned (Graphic Sports, Tuesday Jan 12, 2009 pg 7)

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 District 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 overtaken by weeds whilst the immediate surroundings has been encroached upon by members of the community for farming activities.
The one-and-half mile radius wall on the land has 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 the Graphic Sports 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), 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 project has since come to a standstill after the construction of the inner perimeter before General Acheampong was overthrown”.
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 what would happen to the project.”
The District Chief Executive of the Lower Manya Krobo District, Mr. Isaac Agbo Tetteh, in an interview with the Graphic Sports said the last attempt at reviving the project was when his predecessor, Mr 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 stated that hydraulic and soil structure/texture tests have all been conducted and the land proven to be suitable for the project.
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, 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 when the need arises.
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-sized stadium built for the country, saying for that purpose, the government was in bilateral talks with its development partners to secure funding for the purpose.
He stated that “the government is committed to building a stadium in each region in addition to other sporting facilities for all districts.”

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