The Tamale Sports Stadium has been officially renamed after the late former Vice President of Ghana, Alhaji Aliu Mahama.
Now known as Aliu Mahama Sports Stadium, incumbent Vice President, Alhaji Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, inaugurated it at a colourful durbar of chiefs from the entire Northern Region.
The late Alhaji Aliu Mahama lobbied for the stadium’s construction in Tamale as part of the stadia built to host the 2008 Cup of African Nations in Ghana.
As a soccer enthusiast, he was among the founding fathers of Real Tamale United (RTU) that bonded the people of the Northern Region.
He was very influential in grooming most of Ghana’s soccer legends including the Maestro, Abedi Pele Ayew.
Most of the chiefs in a Citi News interview lauded government’s decision, and encouraged the youth to live exemplary lifestyles.
Alhaji Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia recounted the late Alhaji Aliu Mahama’s humanitarian services, and concluded that he deserved the honour done him.
“He was principled, upright and caring. His whole life was devoted to uplifting humanity from obscurity to limelight.”
“He was immensely very influential in lifting Abedi Pele and many other sports men and women from obscurity to the limelight.”
“Alhaji Aliu Mahama is indeed a national hero and a sports icon. His achievements and deeds transcends space and time. His name is therefore immortalized by naming the Tamale Sports Stadium which after all he was instrumental in building it, and so it is only fair and just that Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo will name this Stadium after him.”
He implored Ghanaians to emulate the late Alhaji Aliu Mahama’s leadership qualities.
“As means of uniting many fragmented football teams and supporters from a position of weakness and mediocrity to an enviable position of strength and excellence, so should the name of this stadium be a symbol of unity, an edifice to ignite the spirit of selflessness and honesty, an emolument to inculcate the values of patriotism, nationalism and volunteerism in Ghanaians.”
The late Alhaji Aliu Mahama’s widow, Hajia Ramatu Mahama, Minority leader, Haruna Iddrisu, Youth and Sports Minister, Issac Kwame Asiamah, the Ghana Football Association (GFA) President, Kwesi Nyantakyi among other dignitaries graced the occasion.
A special Quranic recitation and a health walk preceded the inaugural ceremony which was climaxed with a football match between the northern and the southern eleven, and finally an explosive entertainment show by Fancy Gadam, Macassio and the rest in the northern music industry.
By: Abdul Karim Naatogmah/citifmonline.com/Ghana