By Emmanuel Nyatsikor
Adaklu Tsriefe (V/R), June 7, GNA – The football pitch of the Volta Regional Youth Resource Centre at Adaklu Tsriefe in the Adaklu district is overgrown with weeds.
The Centre, which hosted this year’s national Independence Day parade is so weedy and a far cry from its beautiful state during the parade.
The Ghana News Agency (GNA) found this out, when it paid a visit to the Centre to find out its status, three months after hosting the Independence Day parade.
It observed that not until one entered the Centre, which is situated on the Ho – Sogakope road, the neglect of the football field and its surroundings cannot be noticed because the wall surrounding the Centre looks aesthetically beautiful.
The GNA also observed that there was less human activity at the Centre compared to the days preceding the parade.
The current nature of the pitch could play host to snakes and rodents.
Some onlookers said if nothing is done the taxpayers money would go down the drain and appealed to the owners of the facility to put it to good use even if it was not a hundred percent completed.
Mr Emmanuel Yao Semordey, Volta Regional Director, National Youth Authority (NYA) told the GNA, that the contractor was still on site, an indication of continuous progression of works at the Centre.
He disclosed that the contractor was tackling the drainage system in the facility and indicated that the playing pitch was being fixed and the facility would be ready for use soon.
Mr Semordey corroborated that works had slowed down, a departure from the period prior to the Independence Day events assuring that delivery would speak for all resources and efforts sunk into the project.
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo cut the sod for the construction of the multi-purpose Youth Resource and Sports Centre on July 11, 2018.
The Centre, if fully completed, will have a standard FIFA football pitch, a modern nine-lane athletic track, lawn tennis, basketball, handball and volleyball courts.
Others are counseling, ICT and entrepreneurial Centres and a modern restaurant.
The 5,000 sitting capacity Centre will also have a gymnasium.
Mr. Governs Kwame Agbodza, Member of Parliament for Adaklu during a tour of the Centre to find out progress of work few days prior to the Independence Day parade suggested to the Youth Employment Agency to hand over the facility to any interested football club or sporting organization.
He said this would prevent the Centre becoming a white elephant after the celebration.
Mr. Agbodza hoped that after the parade work would continue and not be abandoned, adding that the Centre would help offer the youth of the area and the region at large the opportunity to develop their sporting skills.
GNA