By Edna A. Quansah
Accra, Oct. 29, GNA – Former President of Ghana, John Dramani Mahama has asked the Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo led administration to withdraw from hosting the 2023 Africa Games due to the harsh economic challenges facing the country.
Speaking on Ghana’s economic challenges dubbed “Building the Nation We Want” on Thursday night at the University of Professional Studies Accra (UPSA).
Former President Mahama said it was improper to host about 54 African countries considering Ghana’s current economic situation.
“If it is not too late, we can pull out of the hosting of the Africa Games as it would severely stretch our already precarious finances by hundreds of millions of cedis,” he said.
Ghana won the bid in 2018 to host the 13th edition of the Africa Games, after beating Egypt to it.
It was reported last year that Government would seek for a loan of $170 million towards the cost of sports and residential infrastructure required for the quadrennial Games.
In August 2021, President Akufo-Addo cut the sod for the start of construction of facilities for the Games to be staged at two centres in Accra; Borteyman and the University of Ghana campus.
While constructing sports facilities at Borteyman, the government would also complete the neglected University of Ghana Stadium which would be be used for athletics and football.
GNA