“Every year we hear of an injunction being placed on the league.

“I believe that the GFA should enforce regulations that will halt its members from bringing injunctions against the league.” he stated.

The FA is currently locked in a legal battle with Accra Great Olympics Limited following a court injunction secured by the latter preventing the start of the Ghana Premier League and the FA’s Congress.

According to Article 21 (1) (4) of the GFA Statutes, clubs that fail to exhaust all internal modes of conflict resolution and seek redress at the Court of Law shall be expelled.

According to the NSA board chairman, the FA must exercise better control over its members.

“It’s their own members that take them to court so if you cant contain your people to stabilize the league that we have, then why bring the family together.”

The case in question has been adjourned to Wednesday, February 21.

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By: Benjamin Nketsia/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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Slated for use as one of the major grounds when Ghana hosts the Women’s Afcon from November 17 to December 1,rigorous work will have to be carried out to restore the facility to its original status.

The media stand,scoreboard and the general corrosion of the metal used in the construction of the ground are expected to be tackled by project contractors Coupbay Ghana Limited.

The Accra Sports stadium which has served as the home ground of Hearts of Oak and Great Olympics has also been a life saver for a number of event organizers but has seen no renovation in the last 9 years.

Robert Sarfo maintains that unlike times gone by,a structure for keeping the facility in top condition will be strictly adhered to.

“In 2008 when this facility was re-constructed,the engineers put up a wonderful maintenance plan which was not followed.

“What we have done now is to go back into the archives to retrieve some of these documents to guide us.

“All I can say is that we are going to put in a proper maintenance plan to make sure that come next ten years we will not witness what we are witnessing now.

“A very comprehensive maintenance plan which will be properly measured yearly to ensure that we are following it religiously,he told a gathering a media men.

The Ghana Football Association is expected to hold a meeting with the Ministry of Youth and Sports to determine how affected Ghana Premier League clubs will navigate the renovation situation.

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By:Benjamin Nketsia/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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This follows his comments indicating that the Baba Yara Stadium was to be closed to sporting activities on Saturdays, to make way for funerals and other social activities. This he said was a viable way of raising adequate funds to maintain the facility which is fast deteriorating.

[contextly_sidebar id=”gE1cGmcBD0cbaubtKFqZEG6fHrZDXNva”]In a statement signed by Deputy Sports Minister, Pius Enam Hadzide, Joshua Mensah will be made to explain why “he should not be sanctioned for making public comments of such serious nature without authorization.”

Mr. Mensah had received a lot of backlash after he indicated to journalists that, it had become necessary to rent the stadium out for funerals and other social activities to enable them to raise funds to maintain the fast-deteriorating facility.

Mr. Mensah at the time, also revealed that his decision had the backing of the Director General of the NSA, Robert Sarfo Mensah, a claim that was subsequently denied by the Director.

Contradictions from authority

The Director-General of the National Sports Authority, Robert Sarfo Mensah, said no official directive was given to reserve the Baba Yara Stadium in Kumasi for funerals.

Mr. Sarfo Mensah however admitted that, some unofficial discussions had taken place on the matter and that the Authority had considered the move.

Poorly maintained Baba Yara stadium fast deteriorating

These developments came on the back of Citi News report exposing how sections of the stadium have almost been turned into a dump site with broken seats and stained bathrooms combining to give the stadium a generally repulsive smell.

It is currently Ghana’s largest stadium with a seating capacity of 40,528.

However, its current state is one of a terribly maintained facility that lacks the capacity to be described as a standard sporting facility.

The stadium was originally built by the United African Company (UAC) in 1957, and inaugurated as a designated football pitch in 1959.

Its stands were constructed in 1971 before the entire stadium was rebuilt in 1977. In 2004 under President John Agyekum Kufuor, it was renamed after Kumasi-born footballer, Baba Yara.

The last major work on the facility was in 2008 ahead of Ghana’s hosting of the CAN 2008 tournament.

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By: Bobbie Osei/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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Mr. Sarfo Mensah, however admitted that, some unofficial discussions had taken place on the matter, and the Authority was considering the move.

[contextly_sidebar id=”BV5c4Q0Q3YNPLcvkcMH5UPsvnPcedhaC”]The Director of the National Sports Authority in Ashanti Region, Joshua Mensah, had revealed this development at a news conference, explaining that such a move had become necessary because of lack of funds.

Hiring out the stadium for funerals and other social activities was viewed as a viable source of income for the maintenance of the facility, which is reportedly deteriorating.

But speaking on Eyewitness News, Mr. Sarfo Mensah urged Ghanaians to disregard the directive.

“Officially, the NSA has not taken any decision to ban football matches at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium. That is on record… no such decision has been made official so I call on all sports-loving Ghanaians and football lovers, the people who patronize our facilities on Saturdays, to disregard the directive. It is not official.”

A private meeting was held with the Director of the National Sports Authority in Ashanti Region regarding the management direction of the Stadium, and Mr. Sarfo Mensah said he “made it very clear to him that this is a major policy decision and per corporate governance principles, even me as a Director General, cannot sit in my office and take such a decision until it goes to the board,” he added.

Thus, Mr. Sarfo Mensah said he told the National Sports Authority in Ashanti Region to put the proposed move in writing “and attach a copy of the management meeting minutes to it to for me to forward it to the board for directives and advice.”

He also said an emergency management meeting had been called to discuss the matter next Monday.

The Baba Yara Sports Stadium was renovated for the Africa Cup of Nations in 2008, which was hosted in Ghana, but years of neglect has now left the facility in a poor state.

Mr. Sarfo Mensah acknowledged the poor maintenance of the stadium over the years, and said “plans are far advanced in correcting all these situations.

“So to a very large extent, there is the need to generate more IGF to keep the facility in a better shape and in doing that, we need to engage our key stakeholders very well to come level terms and go through the due process so we don’t create any tension in the system.”

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By: Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Sports Authority makes U-turn on use of Baba Yara for funerals appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

Twenty-four hours after the ‘all night’ concert, which attracted Oseikrom big guns as well as Dancehall King Shatta Wale and Bisa Kdei, the revellers, most of whom were in their teens, were still seen sprawled on the pitch gasping for breath.

Also present at the show were Ofori Amponsah, Agya Koo and Afia Schwarzenegger.

The spill-over after the show attracted widespread condemnation in Kumasi as stadium authorities struggled to revive and evacuate the drunken young folks.

The organisers, Angel Group of Companies, manufactures of Adonko Bitters, enticed the youth with a free gate but on condition that each patron purchased a bottle of Adonko Bitters liquor at GH¢10.

The trick worked, as the youth mostly students on vacation, thronged the stadium in their numbers to enjoy the music of the celebrated artists.

The aftermath has, however, created a huge conflict between the organisers and the stadium authorities for breach of contract.

Per the contract, the organisers were to ensure that no fan entered the inner perimeter and onto the pitch in order for it to be preserved for football matches.

Subsequently, the stadium authorities have impounded vehicles and equipment as well as slapped a GH¢ 5,000 penalty on the producers of Adonko Bitters for breach of agreement.

According to the Ashanti Regional Director of Sports of the National Sports Authority, Mr Richard Iddrisu Ewuntomah, the items would only be released to the organisers when they settle the penalty.

He told Graphic Showbiz the amount was to help maintain the destroyed pitch and put it back in good shape before Sunday’s Premier League matches.

When Showbiz visited the stadium on Wednesday morning, the exit gates were locked and with heavy security presence.

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Source: Graphic.com.gh

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