Sports News of Tuesday, 11 January 2005

Source: Joy Online

Gas angry over re-naming of Accra Sports Stadium

The Ga Mashie Youth Association has called on the technical committee that recommended the naming of the Accra Sports Stadium as Ohene Djan Sports Stadium to come out and explain the criteria behind it and why they failed to consult the chiefs of Ga.

According to Mr. Jerry Derrick Agyei, and executive member of Ga Mashie Youth Association, the Gas were not consulted in this direction. ?Can somebody go to Kumasi and name the Kumasi Stadium, ?Nyemetei Stadium with out even consulting??

When the Hon Acting Minister of Youth and Sports, Kwadwo Baah Wiredu was called to explain the rational behind the naming of the stadium, he referred Joy FM?s Stan Dogbe to the technical committee but none of the committee members would talk. They kept referring the reporter to different members. Not even the chairman, Mr. Frank Agyeman would talk.

This issue might well go down as yet another worrying ethnic sentiment which has engulfed this country since some time now.

Meanwhile, Jerry Agyei is still insisting it is important that the committee comes out with some explanation and if possible, apologise to the Ga chiefs. He alleged that when the Kumasi Stadium was named Baba Yara Stadium, it was rejected.

Callers to the Komla Dumor?s programme on Joy FM were no different as ethnic sentiments could be read through their comments.