Olympic stadium abandoned at Amasaman (photos)

An olympic sports stadium initiated by the state with initial support of $350,000 from an affiliate of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has been abandoned at Amasaman, near Accra.

The 59.96 hectares (the size of about three football fields) acquired by the government in the mid-2000s for the project has been turned into maize and cassava farms.

The large tract of land, near Amasaman in the Greater Accra Region, was acquired when the OlympAfrica Project, a charity organisation affiliated to the IOC, decided on a single largest investment of $350,000 grant to support Ghana in its sport infrastructure development programme.  

According to the President of the Ghana Olympic Committee (GOC), Professor Francis Dodoo, officials of the OlympAfrica Project have become disappointed with the use of their fund.

Prof. Dodoo said the executive of the GOC got to know about the project when it assumed office three years ago and started discussions via mail with officials of the OlympAfrica Project.

On November 8, 2013, the officials arrived in the country to meet with officials of the GOC on the project.

He said officials of the OlympAfrica Project were unhappy with the Amasaman project, because it did not conform to standards set for projects supported by them.

Apart from their doubts about the use of their funds on the project, the team observed that the standard of the OlympAfrica Project to make its initiative easily accessible to all in a community had been compromised by the high walls built around the Amasaman project.

Prof. Dodoo said the team from the charity organisation proposed three options to the GOC to consider before it would continue to support the Amasaman project.

The first was that the Amasaman project land should be sold and another acquired for the GOC to invest to the tune of $350,000 before OlympAfrica Project would provide additional funds towards the project.

The second was for the GOC to acquire another land and invest the amount given by OlympAfrica, before it comes in with further support, while the third was for the GOC to refund the money given the OlymAfrica for the project.

Prof. Dodoo said he was discussing a fourth option with officials of OlympAfrica to continue with its support  towards the completion of the Amasaman project, since the complaints occurred under the administration of a former executive of the GOC.

He said a three-member committee had been set up to look at the various options and propose the best.

He said under consideration was also the Kaneshie Sports Complex as a viable OlympAfrica project.

Mr Michael Nunoo, who is deputy to Prof. Dodoo, said the land for the project was acquired by an Executive Instrument  for the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA).

The ministry released the land to the GOC when the need for an Olympic stadium came up.

He said local authorities along the line, and in keeping with tradition, offered some money and drinks to the chiefs and people in support of the celebration of Homowo.

That gesture, he said, had been misinterpreted to mean that the land was still under the traditional authorities, resulting in some factions demanding for money.

Mr Nunoo said after it was made clear that the land had been acquired by Executive Instrument, it was made known to the chiefs and people and the issue of people demanding money never came up again.

When contacted, the immediate past President of the GOC, Mr B. T.  Baba, under whose leadership the project was initiated, said he had long left office and therefore was not in a position to comment on the project.

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Stadium of maize and cassava

Land on which the stadium was to be situated was provided by the chief, elders and people of Amasaman.

When the land was acquired, it was walled, with the provision of ticketing booths on all sides.

Service roads were constructed, with the provision of electricity and other utility infrastructure for the stadium and the sports village, where athletes could be accommodated, and offices built to facilitate sports administration.

The stadium has now become a large maize and cassava farm, with some locals using the middle of the stadium for a makeshift football field.

A path also leads through the field as a thoroughfare for residents from one side of the town to another.

The sports stadium has become an icon and landmark in Amasaman.

It straddles a junction, which is now popularly referred to by locals as “Stadium Junction”.

The adjacent tract of land for the Olympic village has been encroached on by people.

Sources close to the Amasaman and Pokuase traditional authorities told the Daily Graphic that a committee was initially formed to execute the project.

A first tranche of the funding was given, and that was used in the building of access roads and the infrastructure for utility services.

They added that internal wrangling among members of the committee had led to a faction demanding accountability of the money spent so far.

The factions have led to the dissolution of the committee and the setting up of a new one.

Subsequently, work stalled, and the second tranche of funds was never released for work to progress.