The Director-General of the National Sports Authority (NSA) has told lawmakers that his office has received no official explanation for the indefinite suspension of work on the Nkawkaw Sports Stadium project in the Eastern Region.
Yaw Ampofo Ankrah revealed the shocking lack of communication after construction workers suddenly abandoned the partially completed facility, casting doubt on the project’s future.
The Nkawkaw stadium, a vital piece of sports infrastructure for the region, had long fallen into serious disrepair before redevelopment began.
Dr Bryan Acheampong, the Member of Parliament for Abetifi, spearheaded the initiative to restore the facility, with a sod-cutting ceremony marking the start of reconstruction in September 2020.
The project, which carries a price tag of GHS 27 million, was to be financed by the Middle Belt Development Authority.
However, midway through the planned overhaul, construction has stalled, leaving the site incomplete.
Appearing before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) in Accra, Ankrah laid bare the Authority’s uncertainty over the matter, stressing that the responsible agencies have offered no formal justification for the delay.
“Sometime in September 2020, the then Minister for Youth and Sports cut sod for the reconstruction of the Nkawkaw Sports Stadium, and it was set to cost 27 million Ghana cedis,” Ankrah told the committee. “It was to be funded by the Middle Belt Development Authority.”
He stated that all documentation available to the NSA provides no insight into the reasons behind the stoppage.
“The project, however, stalled along the line, and per documents or reports presented to me, there was no specific reason given,” he added.
Ankrah confirmed that the Authority continues to await an official update from the relevant bodies to determine whether or when work will resume, leaving the community and the NSA with an uncertain prospect for the region’s key sporting arena.
