Prioritise availability of maintenance funds for the stadia, not manuals – Woyome tells Sports Minister

Highly placed former government official and ranking member on Parliamentary Select Committee for Youth, Sports and Culture, Hon Kwablah Mensah Woyome has urged Government to focus on making available the needed funds for the maintenance of the various stadium being renovated across the country, instead placing the priority on maintenance manuals.

The Honourable member of Parliament for South Tongu Constituency in the Volta region, made these remarks during an interview with Ashaiman TV, where he touched on a wide range of issues, notably the renovation exercise of the Sekondi sports stadium and its future maintenance plans outlined by the sports minister Hon. Isaac Asiamah earlier this month.

During his inspection of the renovation work at the Sekondi Sports Stadium at Essipong, Takoradi on the the 4th of May, the Honourable Sports Minister, Isaac Asiamah underscored the importance of making available a maintenance manual to guide the National Sports Authority (NSA) officials to carry out routine maintenance works on the facilities as and when the need arises. The sports minister stressed, that he would make available “strict maintenance manual” to the NSA officials to follow in ensuring that the stadium is kept neat, strong, new and healthy at all times.

“We will finish (the Sekondi stadium) and give them (NSA) a strict maintenance manual. It is what tells you what to do at any time, you don’t wait till 10 years or 12 years before you do it. Every metal used has its life span, every single equipment, every machine here has its lifespan so that’s what you have to follow to do the maintenance manual. If you obey it strictly you will get all your targets, so that’s what I have instructed them that the maintenance manual must be there, so when I come the first thing I will look at is for you to open the manual, this month what and what did you do? What have you replaced and what are you to remove, then I go through that exercise with you that alone will help you to know that you have a responsibility to fulfill”, Hon. Asiamah told reporters during his inspection at the Sekondi Sports stadium earlier this month.

Responding to the Sports Minister’s speech, the former foreign affairs committee member has argued, that the Government, and for that matter the Sports Ministry must prioritise making available funds to carry out the maintenance exercises on the various stadia, instead of directing much energy and focus to maintenance manuals, which cannot by themselves aid the NSA carry out any maintenance exercise on the facilities.

“What only is needed to ensure maintenance is the availability of funds, therefore the Ministry of Youth and Sports (MoYS) must always make available some funds that will enhance a strong and an efficient maintenance for all our stadia, because this is very essential in growing the sports fraternity “, Hon. Woyome enlightened on Ashaiman TV sports programme “Agoprama so”, hosted by Ebenezer Amuzu.

Constructed in 2008 under the John Agyekum Kuffuor administration for the 2008 AFCON staged in Ghana, the Sekondi sports stadium, situated at Essipong, Takoradi, is now undergoing renovations is said to cost $3m.