As we indicated in this column last week Thursday, the National Sports Authority (NSA) recently issued a press statement indicating that the Accra Sports will be closed down for two weeks for renovation works. Renovation of the stadium should have ordinarily come as good news to sports loving fans, but in this particular case, it was a complete hoax.
The NSA wanted to rent out the facility to a private entity to host an outdoor entertainment programme, but because we are in the middle of the football season, the officials were afraid to announce that the closure of the stadium was to pave way for the hosting of an entertainment programme. The NSA, therefore, sought refuge in ‘renovation’ to hoodwink Ghanaians.
As we indicated on Thursday, the stadium was built primarily for sporting activities. In view of this, all sports programmes should supersede other interests. Unfortunately, the money conscious NSA, which is being apparently goaded on by the Ministry of Youth and Sports, does not see anything wrong in suspending football matches at the stadium, but happy to rent out the facility for non-sporting activities. As we argued in the editorial being referenced, the conduct of the NSA is surely going to kill our football, which is the passion of the nation.
Yes, the NSA may argue that the stadium is under their care, but can one imagine what would have happened to the facility if it was not hosting league matches? The Sekondi Sports Stadium at Essipong, for instance, is also under the care of the same NSA, but their officials sheepishly sat down for it to deteriorate to a level that it will require huge sums of money to repair it. If the facility were to be the private property of officials of the NSA, would they have sat aloof for it to deteriorate to its current level?
The Essipong Stadium is suffering because unlike Accra and Kumasi Sports Stadia, no one is probably going to organise entertainment programme there, for them to make money, so they do not care a hoot about its maintenance. Ghana football is going down not because we lack quality players – but the facilities that ensure the playing of quality football is simply not there. Accra Sports Stadium is sometimes referred to as the Nation’s Wembley, where modern football should be exhibited.
However, because of our obsession for money, we have given it out for entertainers to destroy the pitch. Information The Chronicle is receiving indicate that organisers of the entertainment programme for which reason the stadium was closed down for football matches did not charge any gate fee. If this is the case, then why couldn’t they use the Black Star Square? As we previously indicated, if this had happened in any serious football nation, they would have covered the grass first before mounting heavy structures on it, but this did not happen in our case.
The Chronicle contends that the Accra, Kumasi and other stadia were built with the tax payer’s money to host sporting activities. The latest craze to, therefore, rent out these stadia for non-sporting activities when our national football league is at its peak is condemnable. The Chronicle is, therefore, reiterating its call on President Akufo-Addo to rein in his Sports Minister who is obviously superintending over this bizarre use of our stadia in the country.
Football has over the years kept this nation united, and therefore, any attempt to kill it must be resisted at all cost. Surely, the Auditor General must also take interest in this case and ensure that there is transparency in fees charged for the use of the stadium and that they are actually paid into the national chest. We are saying so because if football matches can be suspended at the stadium to host entertainment programmes, it could also mean that the ‘underlining factor’ is very appetizing.
