Abetifi MP Bryan Acheampong says he has submitted all the necessary documentation for the construction of the Nkawkaw Stadium and is ready to provide any additional documents the National Sports Authority (NSA) may require before work resumes.
According to him, the project, which was initiated under the previous NPP administration, had a contractor on site but the scope of work could not be completed because the funding available did not match the design and cost of the project.
Speaking on Adom FM’s Dwaso Nsem, Mr Acheampong said the contractor initially commenced work at the facility, which serves as a playing ground for residents of Nkawkaw, but later abandoned the project after encountering financial difficulties.
He said the contractor’s activities, including the initial ploughing of the land, left the playing field in a state that required further work.
Mr Acheampong explained that the contractor was subsequently placed under the Middle Belt Development Authority, which, in his view, did not have the resources to complete the project.
He said he therefore approached the contractor, Madam Hawa, to release the equipment so he could continue with the construction.
According to the MP, he submitted the required documentation to the Ghana Football Association (GFA), which approved the arrangement.
He subsequently engaged the NSA Director-General, Yaw Ampofo Ankrah, and his deputy, with whom he said he reached an understanding to proceed with the project.
“I later went to the National Sports Authority boss, Yaw Ampofo Ankrah, and his deputy. We agreed to proceed and I told him that when the project is about to take off, I would like him to be there.”
Mr Acheampong said preparations were made for the NSA boss to attend the commencement ceremony, but although he initially confirmed his attendance, he could not make it to the venue.
“Around 2am, I received a message from him confirming his attendance. We went to the park and waited till 9am, but he didn’t come.”
He said the NSA deputy Director-General together with officials from the GFA, later arrived at the facility, explaining that Mr Ankrah could not attend personally.
The MP said construction subsequently commenced, with contractors deployed to the site and significant work undertaken.
He said the stadium had already been graded, and about 90 trips of black soil were bought from the Afram Plains to support the construction.
However, while the work was ongoing, Mr Acheampong said he received a message from Mr Ampofo Ankrah asking him to suspend construction.
“The work was going on when I received a text message from Yaw that I should hold on with the construction,”he said.
He said he waited for further communication but did not hear from the NSA boss for several weeks.
Mr Acheampong said he was later informed that the NSA was seeking documentation to assure the authority that he would not claim ownership of the facility after completing the project.
“I have no intention to take over. I just want my people to have a place to play,” he said.
He said he was uncertain about what additional documentation the NSA requires because he had already submitted the documents requested by the relevant authorities.
“I don’t know what exact documents he is expecting from me,” he noted.
The MP said he remained willing to sign any additional undertaking required to address the NSA’s concerns.
“If there is anything he wants me to sign, I am ready to do so because I have submitted all required documents. So humbly, if there is something else he wants me to have, he should let me know,” he requested.
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