The Member of Parliament for North-Tongu, Hon. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has outdoored the total amount of payments the government has made for rehabilitation of the dilapidated Essipong and Accra Sports Stadium which does not correspond to the actual work done.
According to Hon. Ablakwa, the immediate past Finance Minister, Hon Ken Ofori Atta since 2019 has given approval for the release of public funds to two companies named, Coupbay and Cisdan for the rehabilitation of the the Essipong Sports Stadium and yet, there have been little or zero work done on the stadium.
In the legislator`s submission, he emphasized on the fact that, there is some form of corruption or corruption related activities which has caused gigantic financial loss to the state.
“Intercepted Payment Vouchers reveal that every year since 2019, President Akufo-Addo and Ken Ofori-Atta made sure their cousin, Kelvin Ofori-Atta religiously received huge payments for stadium rehabilitations. Remember that Kelvin Ofori-Atta is the owner of Coupbay and Cisdan , the two companies awarded a sweetheart deal to rehabilitate the Accra Sports Stadium and Essipong Sports Stadium. Here are the interesting breakdown:
“On March 18, 2019 – Kelvin Ofori-Atta`s Coupbay was paid GHS6,006,868.44 to rehabilitate the Accra Sports Stadium; On June 18, 2020 – Kelvin Ofori Atta`s Coupbay was paid another GHS10,662,700.28 to rehabilitate the Accra Sports Stadium; On March 10, 2021 – Kelvin Ofori-Atta `s Coupbay was again paid GHS4,754,829.56 to rehabilitate the Accra Sports Stadium.
‘On May 27, 2022 – Kelvin Ofori-Atta`s Coupbay was paid an additional GHS4,325,539.84 to rehabilitate the Accra Sports Stadium; on December 29, 2023- Kelvin Ofori-Atta`s Cisdan was paid GHS6,511,245.66 to rehabilitate the Essipong Sports Stadium. These five Payment Vouchers alone amount to a staggering payment of GHS32,261,183.78.” Hon. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa revealed through his social media page on Saturday 15 September, 2024.
Meanwhile, Ghana is currently in limbo while the Ministry of Youth and Sports, National Sports Authority in collaboration with the Ghana Football Association are in a serious probe in pursuit for a stadium which will host the ongoing African Cup of Nations home games as the Confederation of African Football have already suspended all the stadia in the country for its failure to meet the criteria in host CAF category A games.
