THE Omanhene of Dormaa Traditional Area, Osagyefo Oseadeeyo Agyeman Badu II, has stated that the chiefs and people of Dormaa Traditional Area will continue to use part of the resources of the municipal assembly every year for the development of the Nana Agyeman Badu Sports Stadium at Dormaa Ahenkro in the Brong Ahafo Region.
He said until the stadium was fully developed to an international standard, there was no way that the assembly would stop using part of its resources for that purpose, since that was where the heart of the people was.
Oseadeeyo Agyeman Badu said this in reaction to reports by a section of the media that the construction of a dressing room at the stadium did not go through the tendering process and was also fraught with an alleged malfeasance in the award of the contract.
The dressing room at the stadium, which was an emergency, comprises two dressing rooms for the home and visiting teams, six bathrooms and six toilets each for both rooms, offices for match officials and match commissioners, among others, is comparable to the dressing room of any modern stadium in the country.
The stadium, constructed at a cost of GH¢86,000, took six weeks to complete as a result of the qualification of Dormaa-based Aduana Stars Football Club to participate in the Premier League; to enable the team to use the facility for its home matches.
Oseadeeyo Agyeman Badu reiterated that the resources of the assembly were for the people of Dormaa and, therefore, where the people’s heart was, was where the assembly would put its resources for their benefit.
“As a matter of fact, the chiefs and people of Dormaa are satisfied with the decision by the assembly to develop the stadium and the construction of the dressing room received the blessings of Nananom,” he stated.
“The edifice (dressing room) matches the value, and so far as I am concerned, the Municipal Chief Executive had not done anything wrong for constructing the dressing room,” the Dormaahene stressed.
He stated further that Nananom gave their consent for the construction of the dressing room as part of the development process of the stadium in view of the people reaping the economic benefits that came with football.
Oseadeeyo Agyeman Badu stated that as a result of the urgent need for the dressing room for the team to use the stadium, the assembly and Nananom gave the approval for the construction, which had already been ratified.
He, therefore, used the opportunity to appeal to citizens of the area who were behind such publications just to tarnish the image of the area and cause unrest to put a stop to it, since it did not promote the peace and unity of the area.
The Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for Dormaa West, Mr Vincent Oppong Asamoah, who conducted newsmen round the dressing room, said the stadium project was begun by his predecessor and, therefore, it was not a new project that the assembly had embarked upon.
He added that the construction of the dressing room became necessary following the qualification of Aduana Stars to the Premiership as it was one of the requirements if the team was to use the stadium for its home matches.
Mr Asamoah said construction of the dressing room was pre-financed by the contractor which had the Architectural Engineering Services Limited (AESL) as the consultants for the project.
He added that the cost of the project was GH¢86,000, but the assembly would retain GH¢9,000 which would reduce the cost to GH¢77,000.
He said so far, the assembly had paid the contractor a part payment of GH¢25,000.
“I have, therefore, not embezzled any funds as the publication by the Daily Guide newspaper sought to portray. I, therefore, see the allegations as frivolous which have no merit, and my doors are open to any form of investigations,” the MCE said.
Mr Oppong stated that the people were happy with the project since it had brought immense economic benefits to them, as restaurants kept on springing up in the area, thereby creating jobs for the people.
”Besides, the assembly has also raked in over GH¢2,000 revenue for the two matches played at the stadium,” he said.
Mr Oppong added that apart from Accra Hearts of Oak and Kumasi Asante Kotoko which had a large following, and are also traditional clubs, the other traditional team in the Premiership was Aduana, which also had a large following, so the economic benefits that came with football must be reaped by the people.
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