The Presidential Commission established to investigate the Accra Stadium tragedy in the aftermath of the stampede triggered by tear gas following the Accra Hearts of Oak-Kumasi Asante Kotoko mid-week league match on May 9 continues to generate interest day after day.

Witnesses so far invited to give evidence before the commission have given varying accounts of what happened. Without appearing to prejudge the issue, lest we run the risk of being held for contempt, we comment that we find something wrong.

There is the feeling of repugnance to the continued reference to or description of that section of the stadium where the tragedy occurred as 'Ade Coker stand."

Sadly, this description seems to echo in most of the accounts by witnesses appearing before the commission so much that it appears to have earned official recognition even at higher levels of sports administration in the country.

Indeed, some top-ranking officials of the National Sports Council and the Ghana Football Association are themselves guilty of this, not least, the media, which have underlined such unedifying description of that stand with banner headlines.

The point is that before the renovation works at the Accra Stadium prior to the African Youth Soccer tournament in 1999, that section of the stadium had a name deserving of it - "The Northern Stand".

Therefore, we are surprised that just after the reconstruction and during the African Youth Soccer tournament, the stand suddenly got named 'Ade Coker Stand'.

We are informed that the tag to the stand came about in reference to the plastic chairs fixed at the stand and which were supplied by Mr Ade Coker (then Vice-Chairman of the Ghana Football Association), whose company, Rekoc, acted as agents for the foreign manufacturers of the chairs - Compu Praha of the Czech Republic - at a great cost to the nation. Many doubt the quality of these chairs.

The controversy that the chairs have generated following the stadium probe of 1999 and the recent incident on May 9, during which the chairs were ripped by angry fans with confounding ease culminating in the firing of tear gas by the police and the subsequent stampede have further painted a derogatory image of the name associated with that stand.

It, therefore, must be insulting to Ghanaian sensibilities for a name very steeped in controversy to appear to be enjoying so much glorification by the naming of part of a national edifice after it. We think this is not good enough.

There is nothing wrong for fans to, as it were, ridicule something they deem foul though, as that could be a way of registering their protest for the attention of the authorities to be drawn to it or for the culprit to repent.

But we hasten to register our dismay at the rather glorious manner that the description of the 'Ade Coker Stand' is being chanted and we feel obliged, as part of our national duty, to appeal to all and sundry that this description be dropped forthwith.

This is because, as a nation, we need to reward excellence and, therefore, such an important national edifice or asset need to be named or dedicated to statesmen who have distinguished themselves in the pursuit of national aspirations.

Obviously, there are many Ghanaians who have made significant contributions to the growth and development of sports who deserve better by way of an institution of a system of reward, including posthumous coronation.

It is in so doing that people would continue to make sacrifices and contributions in the supreme interest of national development, be it sports or in any other field. Therefore, until the right thing is done by rewarding our past national heroes and heroines as well as other individuals and corporate bodies who have brought and continue to bring great honour to our country, the unilateral reference to that portion of the Accra Stadium as "Ade Coker Stand" must stop forthwith.