Sports Ministry refutes Okudzeto Ablakwa’s claims on national stadia renovations

The Ministry of Youth and Sports has rebutted allegations made by North Tongu MP, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, regarding the alleged misuse of public funds on renovations at various national stadia.

Ablakwa’s claims surfaced amid the withdrawal of CAF’s approval of the Baba Yara Stadium due to the poor condition of the pitch. The CAF decision has left Ghana searching for a venue outside the country to host the next Black Stars match.

In response, the Ministry described the MP’s remarks as “disingenuous” and aimed at misleading the public about the scope of work carried out on national stadiums, particularly the Baba Yara, Accra, and Essipong stadiums.

In a statement, the Ministry said, “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.”

According to the Ministry, Ablakwa’s comments unfairly questioned the renovations, despite these facilities hosting numerous high-profile CAF and FIFA matches in recent years.

The Ministry clarified that extensive renovations had been completed at the Accra Stadium, which was previously deemed a “death trap” due to neglect by the previous NDC administration.

“The publications by the MP sought to mislead the public that all these monies were paid without the corresponding work done,” the Ministry stated, adding, “The Accra, Baba Yara, and Essipong stadia have undergone phases of renovations since 2018.”

The Ministry further highlighted that both the Accra and Baba Yara stadia had hosted multiple CAF and FIFA-certified matches, including the 2018 African Women’s Cup of Nations, the 2018 and 2022 World Cup qualifiers, AFCON qualifiers, and the 2023 African Games.

“It should be noted that FIFA/CAF Category 2 and 3 matches, including the 2018 AWCON, the 2019 AFCON qualifiers, the 2022 World Cup and 2023 AFCON qualifying matches were played at both the Accra and Baba Yara Stadia respectively.”

Additionally, the Ministry pointed out that no major renovations were carried out between 2009 and 2017 under the previous government, of which Ablakwa was a part.

“It is also important to stress that, between 2009 and 2017, the erstwhile government, of which the Hon. MP was a member, did not carry out any major renovation on the Accra, Baba Yara, and Essipong stadia.”

The Ministry’s statement concluded by reiterating the importance of addressing the state of the Baba Yara Stadium but stressed that the MP’s remarks were “disingenuous” given the extensive work completed on the stadium in recent years.

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