Story: Zakaria Alhassan & Vincent Adedze, Tamale
THE President, John Agyekum Kufuor, has called on Ghanaians to exhibit a high sense of goodwill and hospitality towards visitors during the Ghana 2008 Africa Nations C up tournament.
He also entreated those in the hospitality industry and catering services to bring their professionalism to bear on the tournament to make hosting of the event a success.
President Kufuor made the call when he inaugurated the new $38.5 million ultra-modern stadium in Tamale.
Work on the stadium was started on January 31, 2006 and was completed and handed over to the government on November 2, 2007.
The Shanghai Construction Company of China executed the project. The state-of-the-art stadium has a seating capacity of 20,000, and is equipped with such facilities as floodlights, electronic scoreboard, security systems and a security control room.
Also the stadium has a hotel facility, dressing rooms, lift system and a VIP lounge, as well as a restaurant that would be commercialised after the tournament.
The President described that by a strange quirk of fate, Tamale, and for that matter the north, was now getting a standard stadium several years after the area had produced enough quality players who had contributed significantly to the laurels achieved by the various national football teams in the country.
He expressed hope that “with the construction of this edifice, further opportunities would be opened for more football potential to emerge from this area”.
The President reiterated the government’s determination to construct modern stadia in the rest of the regional capitals in the country.
He commended the chiefs and people of the northern region particularly the Regent of Gulkpegu, Alhaji Abdulai Ziblim for their support that facilitated the execution and completion of the project on schedule.
President Kufuor equally commended the Shanghai Company for a “good job done”.
“I also wish to urge management of the four stadia in Tamale, Accra, Sekondi-Takoradi and Kumasi to have an exchange programme to cross-fertilise ideas on how to ensure best management practices, including safety measures for the effective maintenance of the stadia,” he admonished.
The Minister for Education, Science and Sports, Professor Dominic Fobih, noted that the facility would ultimately “open windows of opportunities for the youth to realise their full potential as well as help promote a peaceful co-existence among the people”.
He also indicated that the stadium was one huge investment that would equally boost economic activities in the metropolis and, therefore, appealed to the management of the stadium to ensure regular maintenance of the facility to enable the region derive maximum benefits from it.
Professor Fobih also paid a glowing tribute to some former footballers of northern extraction and said their exploits deserved commendation for making Ghana popular on the international football scene.
The Regional Minister, Alhaji Mustapha Ali Iddris, noted that “this is the biggest gift that any government could give us” and that “posterity would judge us if we don’t take good care of this facility”.
The Regent of Gukpegu, for his part commended the government for the new stadium and stressed that “we shall jealously guard the facility and assist to maintain it for posterity”.
Alhaji Ziblim equally called on the government to help revamp the cotton and rice industries in the northern region.
As part of the inaugural ceremony, a friendly football match was played between Real Tamale United (RTU) and the Catholic Stars of Bolgatanga. The match ended in a drawn game.
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