The Minister for Youth and Sports Isaac Asiamah has given contractors of the Youth and Sports Centre of Excellence at Wa a five month extension to complete the project.
Mr. Asiamah in May last year cut the sod for the commencement of the project and said the multipurpose sports complex will be completed and commissioned in 9 months.
The project, with just a month to its initial deadline is only 68 percent complete.
The minister admitted that although there have been challenges that have impeded the progress of work, government has resolved them and work should progress quickly.
He said given the challenges faced by the contractor, he was happy about the extent of work done so far saying “per what I have seen, it is obvious that the stadium is being filled.
The impression is out there, it is clear the contractor is on point and on course.”
“We have had technically sessions with them [contractors]. There were some challenges on which we agreed that there would have to be an extension. I invited them to Accra, they told me about the challenges that they faced and everything. So per our assessment we knew there will be an extension and that he [the contractor] would complete it in time.”
The Minister for Youth and Sports, Isaac Asiamah said to ensure a culture of maintenance, funds have already been made available to undertake repair works on the facility when need arises.
Mr. Asiamah said this while interacting with the media after a tour of the project site to ascertain the level of work done at Wa in the Upper West Region.
The seven-million Ghana-Cedi Youth and Sports Centre of Excellence will contain facilities of international standards.
These include a FIFA standard pitch, an Olympic sized athletic track, a gym, a court for all handball disciplines and a counseling centre among others.
The Deputy Upper West Regional Minister, Amidu Chinnia Issahaku expressed the hope that when completed, the project will be beneficial to the budding athletes in the region.
“As a government we need to promote youth development and one of the areas of youth development is sports. In the Upper West Region we have a lot of talented men and women; unfortunately we do not have the needed infrastructure to develop their skills.”
“The establishment of this modern facility is going to create an avenue for the young talented men and women to have access to modern facilities so that they can train and develop their skills and capacity,” he added.
He encouraged the youth to take advantage of the facility saying “now that we are constructing this facility, we are going to continue to educate them [the youth] and draw their attention that this facility is meant for them and that they have to take advantage of and develop their skills and become productive.”
The Contractor Joe Kingsley Hackman said within the next few months, the stands will be completed; the pitch will be filled with sand and grassed. He was hopeful that the project would be completed even before the five month extension given by the Ministry of Youth and Sports.
Story and Pictures by Mark Smith
