Vice-President Mahamudu Bawumia has commissioned the 11,000-seater sports stadium complex at the University of Ghana ahead of the 13th African Games competition to be hosted by Ghana.
The Games will run from March 8 to March 23, with competition from multiple sports disciplines to be played at the University of Ghana Stadium and Borteyman Sports Complex.
Speaking during the commissioning, the Vice-President said “the history of the African Games is tied with the history of the continent.”
“I believe it is common knowledge that the Great Pan African and First President of the republic of Ghana, Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah is a founding member of the Games. The Games thus inhabit the Spirit of Africa and Pan Africanism,” he said.
Dr Bawumia therefore admonished all stakeholders, including the Diplomatic Corps, development partners, Corporate Ghana and other private sector partners to make the Games a success with their cooperation.
Preparedness
He said the commissioning of the University of Ghana Sports Stadium and the rugby field indicates Ghana’s preparedness to host Africa’s greatest sports festival, for the first time in country’s history.
The Vice-President mentioned that over 13,000 elite athletes, sports technocrats, technicians and officials, including volunteers, were expected to participate in the African Games.
“Our theme for this edition of the Games, ‘Experience the African Dream’, is thus steeped in the core values of unity, independence, political and economic cooperation, as well as historical and cultural awareness,” he stated.
Dr Bawumia also indicated that “this is the age of the African Renaissance,” adding that “the continent is tagged by Trade Finance Global with the potential to shape geopolitics and world economics for decades to come.”
He believes this potential will not marginally materialize to propel the people into prosperity without conscious and intentional action on the part of everyone, especially leadership across all social divides and facets of society.
Legacy
Dr Bawumia explained that the completion of the University of Ghana Stadium, which was started by J. A. Kufuor’s administration but was abandoned by successive governments for eight years, is exciting for two reasons.
According to him, it is not only going to be the main centre for the African Games, but the facility is also a fitting legacy to the University of Ghana as it marks its 75th Anniversary. The facility, he stated, demonstrates government’s unwavering commitment to providing the needed infrastructure to accelerate Ghana’s sports development.
“The construction of these facilities have not been easy, but we know that the returns would be immediate and substantial. Already, hitherto underdeveloped areas of the Greater Accra Region have first class roads, portable water and electricity as a result of the Borteyman Sports Complex. Other social, recreational, and economic infrastructure would spring up to propel the growth of the region,” he stated.
The Vice-President said the United Nations had identified sports as the most appropriate vehicle for sustainable socio-economic development and made a pronouncement as such in 2018.
“Combined with the youthful bulge of our demographic dividend, the opportunity is here, and the time is now. Ghana is ready to host the world. It is in recognition of many social and cultural benefits inherent in sports that the Government of His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, President of the Republic, took the bold decision to bid for and win the rights for Ghana to host this edition of the African Games,” he noted.
Dr Bawumia added: “This visionary step has resulted in the construction of international standard sporting facilities such as the University of Ghana Sports Stadium and Rugby Field and the Borteyman Sports Complex. Construction of these facilities have not been easy, but we know that the returns would be immediate and substantial”.
Clarification
In a related development, the Office of the Minister of Youth and Sports has clarified that vehicles to be used for the upcoming African Games will be rented and not bought. This statement comes in the wake of a disclosure via the Local Organizing Committee (LOC)’s Transport Management handbook that the LOC “intends to procure” 332 vehicles for use during the Games.
However, the office of the Sports Minister has said the vehicles won’t be bought but rented from brands, including Toyota and Volkswagen, for the African Games.
For the near three week competition, 29 Landcruisers, 3 Toyota Prado’s, 106 Saloon Cars, 78 Wagon Cars, 55 Team Marco Polo Buses, 30 Ayalolo buses, 26 minibuses and 5 trucks will be used.
In the lead up to the competition, the expenditure involved in hosting the Games has come under heavy scrutiny, with Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, chiding the LOC over a spike in the budget for operational expenses.
The budget approved the Parliament of Ghana, according to Mr Ablakwa, was 100 million Ghana Cedis but that figure has shot up to 602 million Ghana Cedis ($48 million).
Contingents representing competing nations have started to arrive in Accra for the Games, with Egypt, Algeria and Tunisia among the first to arrive.
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