New Stadiums in Danger?

NSC cannot manage stadiums - Sportnet boss

Accra, Feb 19, GNA - The debate as to whether the National Sports Council (NSC) should be given the nod to manage the refurbished Ohene Djan and Baba Yara Stadiums in Accra and Kumasi respectively, as well as he newly constructed ones at Sekondi and Tamale rages on.

Whilst some are of the view that, the NSC does not have the necessary managerial skills to manage the new facilities, the NSC thinks otherwise and wants to continue the management of the facilities. Mr Daniel Asiedu Asare, Chief Executive of Sportnet Ghana Limited, dealers in sports wears, is among those who believe the NSC is well not resourced to manage the four stadiums.

He therefore called on the appropriate authorities to hand over the facilities to private investors with the requisite managerial and technical skills to ensure increase in revenue and high level of maintenance.

According to Mr Aseidu Asare, the move would ensure maximization of income from the four edifices to offset the huge investments made in the projects by the government, while guaranteeing regular maintenance and renovation of the stadiums to keep them in a better shape for posterity. He said the NSC did not have the required human resource capacity and the technology for the management of the modern facilities, hence the need to employ the services of private investors to do the job. Mr Aseidu Asare said the facilities at the stadiums are of high quality and therefore required the same level of management. The Sportnet boss added that corporate bodies could also be roped in to support the management of the stadiums in return for exclusive branding opportunities, which he said would further strengthen income generating opportunities.

He suggested that, the stadiums should be named after corporate bodies, which would be made to pay, as ways of raising additional revenue for government, apart from, gate proceeds and other hiring charges.

Mr Aseidu Asare said the present system where the stadiums are named after sports heroes and heroines is not generating any form of revenue for the nation, adding that, the various stands and facilities within the stadium should be named after these heroes and heroines. "The system of management we have at the moment is not the best because we have over the years not been able to generate enough resources for the efficient running of the stadiums," he stated. On the other hand, the Chief Executive of the NSC, Prince Oduro-Mensah has persistently stated that Council had the capacity to manage the facilities. 19 Feb 08