Nkawkaw (E/R), March 4, GNA – Exactly six months after the sod-cutting ceremony for the reconstruction of Nkawkaw Sports Stadium into an ultra-modern sporting facility, work is yet to commence, raising concerns among local chiefs.
Speaking in an interview with the GNA Sports in Nkwakaw, Kwahu Dadiehene, Nana Kwadwo Akuamoah, said the people of Kwahu were not happy with the current state of the stadium estimated at 27 million Ghana cedis.
The project is under the sponsorship of the Middle Belt Development Authority as part of the government’s one million per constituency project.
Former Sports Minister Mr. Isaac Asiamah on 4th September 2020 broke the ground to begin the reconstruction of the sports stadium and it was expected to be completed in two years.
The stadium with close to 10,000 seater capacity was to be done in two phases, however, since the sod-cutting event, residents said no work had commenced.
The situation has triggered concerns among stakeholders, particularly, chiefs and leaders of Okwahu United.
Nana Akuamoah said the Nkawkaw Sports Stadium served as the main venue for one of Ghana’s biggest traditional teams, Okwahu United, and that the delay was affecting the club’s activities.
He stated that it would have been better to see even phase one of the project ongoing even if it was not nearing completion, “but as it stands now the stadium was yet to see the desired facelift”.
He added that several efforts by the chiefs and the people to get the contractor to start work have proven futile.
Nana Akuamoah called on the Government to intervene in the situation to ensure work on the project commences as soon as practicable.
“Residents in the area are very passionate about the project and so there is the need for work on the stadium to be completed early so that the people of Kwahu and its environs can enjoy football activities,’’ he said.
According to Mr. Yaw Obrempong Yeboah, a resident of Nkawkaw and a sports enthusiast, the contractor came to the site after the sod-cutting ceremony, graded it and disappeared.
With the current state of the stadium, he said teams in Nkawkaw could not use the pitch, describing the situation as very disturbing.
He said they would be compelled to embark on a demonstration if the current state of the project remained the same by the close of March.
GNA