The Director General of the National Sports Authority (NSA), Peter Twumasi, has justified his decision to lease the Accra Sports Stadium for concerts in December last year.
The NSA declared that, the stadium would not be available for sporting events during December, advising clubs to relocate their Ghana Premier League home games elsewhere.
The venue was opened up for social gatherings, including Stonebwoy’s Bhim Concert, which reportedly generated GH¢70,000.00 for the NSA.
The move drew significant criticism from the public. However, when questioned by the Public Account Committee on Monday, February 5, Mr Twumasi defended his actions, asserting that there was nothing improper about the decision.
“We informed all stakeholders beforehand that during December, a specific period would be allocated for non-sporting events, and the revenue from these events should cover all costs,” he stated.
“Hosting non-sporting events at our stadiums is not unprecedented. This is not the first time we’ve allowed the facilities to be used for non-sporting activities. It’s a regular occurrence.”
Even during Independence celebrations, we utilized stadiums in Tamale, Cape Coast, and Baba Yara. The key question is whether we are able to recover the costs and return to sporting activities. And the answer is yes, we are able to do so. We do recover” he added.
Meanwhile, the Minister for Youth and Sports, Mustapha Ussif, denied approving the stadium’s closure for such events.