Credible information reaching YawaNews has revealed that the sudden approval of Ghana’s poorly maintained stadia by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) has come as a surprise.
Just weeks ago, CAF officials had blacklisted all of Ghana’s stadia, declaring them unfit to host international football matches. However, recent developments show that the stadium has now been approved after a reevaluation.
A reliable source from Jubilee House claims that President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo personally contacted CAF President, Dr. Patrice Motsepe, to plead for the games to be hosted locally.
The intel suggests that it was considered crucial for the Black Stars match to be held in Ghana, especially in the capital, to help ease the growing political tension in the country.
Another reason for the President’s source to prevent a possible public anger directed to his family member and cousin to be precise, Kevin Ofori-Atta who was fingered in the whole stadia scandal
Freshly intercepted documents reveal that taxpayer funds exceeding GH₵85 million were disbursed to crony companies for the rehabilitation of three national sports stadia in recent years.
Stadia scandal
After a thorough parliamentary investigation, it has become evident that had Ghana received value for money from these contracts, the nation could have avoided the international embarrassment of having all its stadia blacklisted by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) from hosting international competitions.
These latest revelations challenge the widely held belief that the national stadia were simply abandoned by an incompetent government. Instead, they point to a more troubling scenario—a corrupt “create, loot, and share” scheme that enriched a few at the expense of Ghana, under the guise of stadium rehabilitation projects.
1) Essipong Stadium Rehabilitation – GHS41.9 million
On July 14, 2023, the then Deputy Minister for Finance, Dr. John A. Kumah (may his soul rest in peace), wrote to the Minister for Youth and Sports authorizing the rehabilitation of the Essipong Stadium. The intercepted letter, which is attached, shows that the contract was awarded to Cisdan Company Limited.
Documents show that Cisdan Company Limited is owned by Kelvin Ofori-Atta, a relative of President Akufo-Addo and former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta. By October 25, 2023, Cisdan had raised an interim payment certificate of GHS6,853,942.80, which was promptly paid. Since then, other substantial payments have also been made.
Attached is the intercepted agreement between Cisdan and the Ministry of Youth and Sports.
2) Accra Sports Stadium Renovation – GHS22.4 million
On February 27, 2020, the Ministry of Youth and Sports entered into an agreement with Coupbay Ghana Limited to renovate the Accra Sports Stadium at a cost of GHS22,484,134.37.
These contracts have raised serious concerns regarding corruption, misuse of taxpayer funds, and lack of accountability, leaving Ghana’s sporting infrastructure in a state of disrepair while a few individuals reap the benefits.
