Minister Designate for Youth and Sports, Mustapha Ussif says he has not been briefed on plans by government to give the Bolgatanga Sports Stadium in the Upper East Region a facelift.
Mustapha Ussif said this while responding to questions by members of the Appointments Committee of Parliament during his vetting on Thursday, February 25, 2021.
Member of the committee and MP for Asawase, Alhaji Muntaka Mubarak asked the Minister Designate whether he received briefing on plans by government to rehabilitate some sports facilities in the country particularly the Bolgatanga Sports Stadium and the Azumah Nelson Sports Complex.
But the Minister Designate in response said he has not had any briefing about the two sports facilities and for that matter any plan to rehabilitate them.
He, however, pledged to ensure that the Bolgatanga Sports Stadium and the Azumah Nelson Sports Complex are rehabilitated since his attention has been drawn to them.
He said upon assumption of office, should he be approved, will do the necessary follow-ups to ascertain plans for the facilities facelift and move to ensure that they are facelifted in line with President Akufo-Addo’s pledge in 2017.
“Mr. Chairman, no, I have not received briefing on the face-lifting of Bolgatanga Sports Stadium and the Azumah Nelson Sports Complex. But if I’m given the nod, all sports facilities will be paid attention to and now that you have mentioned the two facilities, I will look into it. I will do a follow-up and pay more attention to ensure that what the President said is done,” he stated.
The Bolgatanga Sports Stadium which is supposed to be a regional sports facility is in a deplorable state and continually deteriorate day-in-day-out despite numerous pledges over the years to give it a befitting facelift.
As far back as 2015, the then Minister for Youth and Sports, Mahama Ayariga pledged that the Mahama’s administration would rehabilitate the sports stadium and construct a new stadium in addition.
President Akufo-Addo, in 2017, also announced plans by his government to rehabilitate the stadium.
But the sports stadium is yet to be rehabilitated with some unscrupulous persons turning it into an open defecation hub.
