By Benjamin Makafui Attipoe, Sogakope
A colourful grounds-breaking ceremony for the construction of a Thirty Million Ghana Cedi (Ghc30m) sports complex facility has taken place at Sogakope, the administrative capital of the South Tongu district of the Volta Region. The initiative, which is the brain-child of the Member of Parliament (MP) for the area, Maxwell Kwame Lukutor, would be implemented in phases beginning with a fence wall around the 9.6 acre plot of land and an Astroturf field for football and its related events.
The project which is being undertaken in collaboration with the South Tongu District Assembly (STDA), the Maxwell Lukutor Foundation (MLF) and other stakeholders of the area, would be executed by the Oxygen Capital Group Limited in Accra who are experts in the field of sports stadia construction among others.
The six thousand (6000) seater-capacity sports stadium is expected to have facilities such as an Astroturf or football field, title tracks for athletics, swimming pools, volley and basket ball courts, parking lots, a gym centre, a playground for children, market stalls for businesses as well as conference facilities such as a hostel to host teams when they come for sporting activities.
According to a representation of the Oxygen Capital Group Limited, Mr. Benjamin Owusu Ansah, the project is not only about building a stadium but about creating a sustainable sports eco-system that would develop talents, support community engagements and generate economic value for the people.
According to him, feasibility studies on the suitability of the land and its related matters in addition to all the architectural plans and designs have been undertaken and completed, adding that what is left now is the complete take-off of the project.
The launching of the project and its grounds-breaking ceremony was attended by a large number of dignitaries from far and near in addition to students and the youth of Sogakope, the ultimate beneficiaries of the project. In attendance in their numbers were also the Assembly Members (AMs) and staff of the District Assembly, sports delegations from both the district, sister districts and the region as well as party faithfuls and supporters from far and near.
When completed, the multi-faceted and scalable project would not only cure the deficit in the sports sector within the region in terms of its standard and complex infrastructure but also become the heart of sports in the region alongside existing facilities like the Ho and Hohoe Sports Stadia as well as the WAFA Stadium at Fievie.
Launching the project alongside breaking the grounds for the take-off of the project, the MP and architect of the initiative, Hon. Maxwell Kwame Lukutor noted that the project has always been his long-standing dream even before he became an MP for the area, adding that the event was a fulfillment his wish for the youth and all students of second and first cycle schools in the area and beyond to use the facility for their sporting and other related events. ‘It is to help my youth to develop the talents they have in terms of sports and also make it a ground for social activities – funerals, concerts for musicians and others that can be held here’, Hon. Lukutor stressed.
The MP stated that even though the Ghc30m project appears huge, he is looking up to companies and institutions that are into sports development to partner him under the Built, Operate and Transfer (BOT) arrangement to execute the project.
Hon. Lukutor also welcomed individual contributions towards the execution of the project, acknowledging that every little contribution including a Ghc140 donation made by one of the youths of Sogakope towards the project was highly commendable and appreciated. ‘Such little contributions show the involvement of the youth in the project, fulfilling the old-adage that little drops of water make a mighty ocean’, the MP intimated.
The District Chief Executive (DCE) for the area, Hon. Victoria Dzeklo described the project as a great initiative by the MP, saying it would go a long way to positively impact sports development and the promotion of sports talents among the youth in the district and beyond.
She pledged the Assembly’s commitment and resolve to ensure the project runs its full implementation, saying anyone who has issues regarding the age-old demarcated land should step forward for further discussions on the issue including dealing with any possible compensation when the need arises.
Hon. Victoria Dzeklo warned that nobody should attempt to stop the project in the name of any land litigation, explaining that the site had been earmarked by government for this purpose several years ago.
The Chairman of the Tongu Chiefs’ Union (TCU) and Paramount Chief of the Sokpoe Traditional Area, Togbega Kadzi Zogah II urged the citizens of Tongu to give a chance to development on their lands. In a speech delivered on his behalf by the Paramount Chief of the Vume Traditional Area, Togbega Yaw Akonnor II, he warned that the TCU would not tolerate such acts that have the tendency to derail development in the Tongu State.
The Regional Chairman of the Ghana Football Association (GFA), Mr. Daniel Agbogah welcomed the MP’s initiative, describing it as a dream come true. According to him, one of the challenges facing the GFA and indeed sports development in the region is lack of infrastructure. Mr. Agbogah pledged the support of the GFA towards the project and called for support from individuals and the corporate world towards the complete execution of the laudable initiative.
A former Headmaster of Mawuli School, Ho, Mr Gustav Adomah who chaired the function, commended the MP for the vision, saying such an initiative must be nurtured to bear fruits for the benefit of the district and region at large. He called on the youth not only to buy into the initiative but also support it in whichever way possible towards its realization.
Mr. Adomah, who was also a former Assistant Headmaster of the Sogakope Senior High School (SOGASCO), urged the youth to abstain from drug and substance abuse, emphasizing that such acts can ruin their lives and destroy their future.
As part of the ceremony, the Nunana Cultural Troupe from SOGASCO as well as the Jama Group from the Dabala Senior High Technical School (DASTECH) entertained the gathering to the admiration of all and sundry.
