The Ministry of Youth and Sports has responded to claims made by Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, Member of Parliament for North Tongu, who questioned the effectiveness of renovation works carried out at national stadiums.
His remarks followed the recent withdrawal of CAF’s approval for the Baba Yara Stadium due to the poor condition of the pitch.
In his critique, Ablakwa published a list of contracts awarded for the refurbishment of several national stadiums, raising concerns over why Ghana would face a ban from hosting international matches despite these renovation efforts.
The Ministry has refuted Ablakwa’s claims, describing his comments as “disingenuous.”
It argues that using the current state of the Baba Yara pitch to question the broader renovation works carried out on the Baba Yara, Accra, and Essipong stadiums over the past six years is misleading.
In a detailed statement, the Ministry addressed the allegations: “Recent social media publications by the Hon. Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, have alleged wastage of national resources by the Government in renovating national stadia.”
The Ministry provided a detailed account of the extensive work done on the Accra, Baba Yara, and Essipong stadiums since 2018. The statement emphasised that prior to these renovations, some facilities, particularly the Accra Sports Stadium, had been neglected for nearly a decade and had been labelled a “death trap” by experts.
The Ministry also countered Ablakwa’s suggestion that the renovations were ineffective, pointing out that both the Accra and Baba Yara stadiums have hosted several high-profile matches since the upgrades, including CAF and FIFA-certified events such as the 2018 African Women’s Cup of Nations, World Cup qualifiers, AFCON qualifiers, and the recent football matches during the 13th 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 the 2023 AFCON qualifying matches were played at both the Accra and Baba Yara stadiums,” the Ministry’s statement read.
The Ministry also criticised the previous government, of which Ablakwa was a member, for failing to undertake any major renovations between 2009 and 2017, stating: “It is important to stress that, between 2009 and 2017, the erstwhile government did not carry out any major renovation on the Accra, Baba Yara, and Essipong stadia.”
The Ministry concluded by reaffirming its commitment to improving sports infrastructure in the country and ensuring that Ghana’s stadia continue to meet international standards.
The full statement from the Ministry can be found below:
