Nana Kwadwo Akuamoah, Kwahu Dadiehene, has expressed his dissatisfaction at the non-commencement of the reconstruction works at the Nkawkaw Sports stadium, the home of Okwahu United.
The project, which is under the auspices of the National Sports Authority (NSA), and sponsored by the Middle Belt Development Authority, as part of the government’s flagship programme of ‘One Million Per Constituency’, has not seen any commencement of works since its sod-cutting ceremony in September 2020. This has raised concerns among stakeholders, chiefs and the people of Kwahu.
The worried chief said he would have been glad to see just the first phase of the project ongoing, even if it was not nearing completion, adding that as it stands now, the stadium is yet to see the desired facelift after a sod-cutting ceremony by the then Minister of Youth and Sports, Isaac Asiamah.
The chief therefore called on the government to intervene in the situation to ensure that works on the project begin as soon as possible.
Project
During an inspection tour in August, last year, by the leadership of the NSA and the Middle Belt Development Authority, this paper reported that an amount of GHC 1.9 million had already been earmarked for the project. This was disclosed by the Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the Middle Belt Development Authority, Joyce Opoku Boateng.
When the Daily Statesman contacted Ms Opoku Boateng over the new development, she stated that the fund earmarked for the project is still available, adding that everything had been put in place for the contractor to begin the work.
For his part, Professor Peter Twumasi, the Director General of the NSA, in an interview with this paper over the weekend, explained that when the contract was awarded to Farhadel Company Limited (the company in charge of the project), they indicated that they were already working on some other projects with little but experienced personnel across the country. He said the contractor however gave the assurance that they would be able to deliver within the two years duration.
Possible termination
He told this paper that there would be a periodic inspection of the Authority’s projects with the new Youth and Sports Minister very soon, stressing that contractors who are yet to start work or have neglected the work without any tangible reason would have their contracts terminated and awarded to better and competent contractors.
“There shouldn’t be any worries at all. We have our money, it’s ready. The contractor has a two-year mandate to deliver our project to us. If we speak to him and there’s no positive reason why work hasn’t started on the project, we would just terminate the contract and give it to someone else,” he stressed.
About The Author
