Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia has described the late Vice President, Alhaji Aliu Mahama as a national hero and a sports icon who devoted himself to the development of sports in the country.

According to him, he was principled, upright and caring; devoting his whole life to uplifting obscurity to limelight.

“He was immensely influential in lifting Abedi Pele and many other sportsmen and women from obscurity to limelight. His achievements and deeds transcend space and time. His name is therefore immortalized by naming the Tamale Sports Stadium which after all he was instrumental in building it. It is only fair and just Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo will name this stadium for him”, he disclosed at the renaming of the Tamale Sports Stadium after him on Sunday.

He disclosed that the former Vice President among other things used the used sports to unite fragmented football teams indicating that his vision of constructing the edifice in Tamale is a symbol of unity.

“This stadium symbolizes the love Alhaji Aliu Maham had for Tamale in particular and our dear nation Ghana as a whole. As Alhaji Aliu Mahama used sports as a means of uniting many fragmented football teams and supporters from a position of weakness and mediocrity to an enviable position of strength and excellence, so should the name of this stadium be a symbol of unity, an edifice to ignite the spirit of selflessness and honesty. A monument to inculcate the values of patriotism, nationalism and volunteerism in Ghanaians.

Let therefore from now on , the old Tamale Sports Stadium give way to the new name, the name that immortalizes a national hero, the name resonates with philanthropism and discipline…..that name is Aliu Mahama Sports Stadium”, he declared.