The Ministry for Youth and Sports is considering closing the Accra sports stadium for maintenance works.
This was disclosed by sector Minster Mr Isaac Asiamah at the commemoration of the 16 anniversary of the May 9 stadium disaster in Accra.
“The sports ministry is considering the possible closure of the Accra Sports stadium for long overdue maintenance. The stadium has been neglected for almost nine years without maintenance so we are considering a possible closure of this facility to ensure that we do popular maintenance to protect lives and property,” he stated.
“This is as a result of information that has come to us that present state of the stadium is a potential death trap. The information says in the year 2013 ASL carried out structural integrity audit on this facility with estimated cost and recommended rehabilitation works but this was not done.
“Again, in the year 2015, ASL carried out another structural integrity audit with escalated estimates and a picture of a worsened situation.
“They recommended that the immediate closure of the stadium is something we should consider for renovation works. This report has been ignored until recently when I visited the stadium and came across that document. …We need to take precautionary measure so the ministry has no option than to close the stadium for maintenance works to begin.”