Sports Ministry clarifies issues of funds allocated to national stadium renovations

The Ministry of Youth and Sports has refuted claims by Mr. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, Member of Parliament for North Tongu, who raised concerns about the renovations made at various national stadiums.The outspoken Member of Parliament released documents that suggested that an amount of GHC 85 million had been spent to rehabilitate three national stadiums, including Accra, Kumasi, and Essipong.His revelation comes as Ghana struggles to find an international standard stadium facility capable of hosting matches involving the Black Stars after CAF revoked the suitability of the Baba Yara Sports Stadium.According to the statement by the Ministry of Youth and Sports, Mr. Okudzeto Ablakwa's publication sought to mislead the public over the wastage of national resources regarding national stadium renovation works.'Recent social media publications by the Hon. Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, have alleged wastage of national resources by the government in renovating national stadia.' The publications by the MP sought to mislead the public that all these monies were paid out without the corresponding work done, following recent issues with the Baba Yara pitch.The Ministry further provided a detailed scope of work done on the Accra, Baba Yara, and Essipong stadiums from 2018.?It stated that Accra Sports Stadium had undergone three phases of renovations following a contract awarded to Messrs Company Construction Limited.The works included the re-roofing of the VIP area, replacement of damaged steel, blasting, and dehumidification of metal roofing, among others.Source: Ghana News Agency