The Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) has curtailed the supply of power to the Accra Stadium and its managers-National Sports Authority (NSA) offices due to a staggering accumulated bills DAILY GUIDE SPORTS has gathered.
Our search suggests the NSA have been operating in the ‘dark’ since June this year with a huge debt which runs into millions of Cedis.
As a result, the managers of the facility (Stadium) have resorted to the use of a plant (Generator) which operates on a 20,000 Cedis fuel for a month.
A source at NSA revealed that the situation has slowed down activities at the place as a result of the power rationing depending on which event is taking place.
“I remember the last the Black Stars trained here, we had power only when the team was in for training because they needed power for the irrigation machine to water the pitch.”
“The situation is very bad, it has affected work negatively-from administration to cleaning of the place, matches which has the potential of attracting massive crowds when played at night are played before darkness sets in with limited spectatorship.”
“ The place is poorly managed, until the scoreboard finally went off, parts were transported from other Stadia for it to function and were sent back after matches until it got out of hand, ” the source said.
A further investigation into why the Authority appears comfortable with the use of the plant indicated that the 20,000 Cedis monthly fuel fee is much less compared to the 50,000 Cedis being charged by ECG.
It has also emerged that the Authority has made no effort to question the ECG for the high bills, a step their counterparts in Kumasi took which saw a drastic reduction of its bills.
Besides the power crisis confronting the Stadium, the clear manifestation of corrosion on the metal works on the facility, poor sanitation at the washrooms particularly during match days, have raised eyebrows among the sporting populace.
The stadium was renovated when Ghana hosted the rest of the continent in 2008 in the 26thAfrican Cup of Nations, but has since seen no major maintenance.
By Kofi Owusu Aduonum