“Use the money meant for rehabilitation as seed money for FIFA Standard Stadium – Sunyani residents pleaded with Government
Sunyani, Monday, November 29, 2021.
Opinion leaders in Sunyani are pleading with government to “use the money meant in the 2022 budget for rehabilitation of the Sunyani Coronation Park as seed money for the building of a FIFA standard sports stadium”.
Mr. Ransford Antwi, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) for a Sunyani based Suncity Radio said the Traditional Authorities in Sunyani have secured land for the stadium project and was optimistic it would create diverse job opportunities for the youth and other unemployed people in not only Sunyani, but the Bono region at large.
Mr. Antwi, also a former CEO of Brong-Ahafo (BA) United Football Club in Sunyani noted there are numerous young talents with interests in other sporting disciplines like tennis, volleyball, basketball, athletic, boxing and taekwondo, but, no facilities for the development of such sporting disciplines.
These are among the reasons for crucial need of FIFA standard sports stadium in Sunyani to unearth these young talents for Ghana in the nearest future, Mr. Antwi explained in an interview with this writer on Monday in Sunyani.
He bemoaned that in Tamale, there was Karadan park, but, Aliu Mahama stadium was built, Essipong had also been built in addition to Gendu park in Sekondi-Takoradi.
Adding, in Cape Coast, Robert Mensah sports stadium had been built and the people of New Adubease have also gotten their share.
Why have Sunyani been left out upon all these number of sporting talents produced for Ghana including Marvelous Nana Yaw Konadu who won several boxing titles for Ghana?
Mr. Antwi therefore emphasized “the rehabilitation money from government should be use as seed money for a new FIFA standard sports stadium and name it after former Black Stars icon ‘Samuel Kwasi Owusu’ who captained the team for about 10 years.
Mr. Antwi again mentioned George Arthur as another legend from Sunyani in the history of the Ghana Black Stars team.
He said currently, there is no space at the coronation park for even car park and the rehabilitation may not include facilities for development of those remaining sports that many youth in Sunyani are interested in.
By the aforementioned, Mr. Antwi reaffirmed the “Massive demonstration” in Sunyani on Friday 10th December 2021, starting from the Victoria Park to the Bono Regional House of Chiefs to petition the house for the request for FIFA standard sports stadium in Sunyani.
Adding his voice, Mr. Atta Akoto Senior, President of the Sunyani Youth Development Association said is time for the people of Sunyani to rise and make their voices heard.
“We deserve better, we need New Fifa standard stadium that can accommodate other sporting disciplines”, he stressed.
Mr. Akoto Snr outlining his heart bleeding concerns cited the Centre for National Culture after almost 50 years is not completed,
the Bono Regional Library which started during former President Kuffour era for the past 19 years is also still not completed.
Again, Sunyani lacks ultramodern market, he stated.
Mr. Akoto Snr worried the Sunyani Children’s park was abandoned and now serves as a dome for serpents and lunatics, at the same time, the children’s library at the abandoned children’s park is now rotten.
Again, the “Sunyani water expansion project only gets called in national budget. Even though we are told funds is ready for the project, there’s no action going on the ground”, he said.
On roads, Mr. Akoto Snr pointed the “New Dormaa-Kotokrom-Yawhima road which was abandoned and revisited prior to elections has been stalled. That project has been toyed with for over ten (10) years now”.
“Sunyani Technical Institute was converted to Polytechnic and now a Technical University, we need a new technical school for Sunyani”, he stated.
According to Mr. Akoto Snr, the “Sunyani Regional Hospital was constructed along with Cape Coast and Ho Regional Hospitals. Cape Coast and Ho Regional Hospitals are now Teaching Hospitals whereas our Regional Hospital remains same”.
“Haphazard sale of Government lands in Sunyani. The land between Bank of Ghana and Lands Commission as well as other spaces beyond, through to the SDA Hospital have been sold out by Politicians”, he alleged.
“These and many other negligence have necessitated the need for us to make our voices heard, so all well wishers of Sunyani and the Bono Region are entreated to be part of this demonstration, Mr. Akoto Snr called.
Responding to the concerns raised by people of Sunyani, the Member of Parliament for the Sunyani East Constituency, Mr Kwasi Ameyaw-Cheremeh in an audio in the airwaves told them “You can’t compare apples to oranges”.
In another response, Mr. Ameyaw-Cheremeh said before the COVID-19, he discussed with a contractor to renovate the Sunyani Coronation park, but, the contractor’s partners in China died through COVID-19 and as a result, his discussions couldn’t be actualized.
###SUNYANI DESERVES BETTER