The Ministry of Youth and Sports has issued a detailed response to North Tongu MP Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, who criticized the Ministry for alleged wastefulness in the renovation of national stadia. This response comes in light of CAF’s recent withdrawal of approval for the Baba Yara Stadium due to its poor pitch conditions.

Ablakwa published several contracts related to the renovations, questioning why Ghana is facing a ban from hosting matches at home despite the funds allocated for improvements. In a comprehensive 30-page statement, the Ministry described Ablakwa’s claims as “disingenuous,” asserting that the state of the Baba Yara pitch should not overshadow the extensive renovations completed at the Baba Yara, Accra, and Essipong stadia over the past six years.

The Ministry stated, “Recent social media publications by the Hon. Member of Parliament for North Tongu have alleged wastage of national resources in renovating national stadia,” and emphasized that these claims mislead the public into believing that funds were disbursed without corresponding work.

The statement outlined the extensive renovation work carried out since 2018, particularly at the Accra Stadium, which had been described as a “death trap” due to years of neglect under the previous NDC administration. It highlighted that both the Accra and Kumasi stadia have successfully hosted several CAF and FIFA-certified matches, including the 2018 African Women’s Cup of Nations and World Cup qualifiers.

The Ministry countered the MP’s assertions by noting that FIFA/CAF Category 2 and 3 matches, including significant tournaments, have taken place at the Accra and Baba Yara stadia. It criticized Ablakwa for using the current state of the Baba Yara Stadium to imply a lack of work, pointing out that there were no major renovations conducted at the national stadia from 2009 to 2017, during the previous government, of which the MP was a part.