Former Deputy Minister for Education, Youth and Sports Joe Aggrey has explained circumstances leading to the renaming of the Accra Sports Stadium as Ohene Djan Stadium and said if he had his way, the new name should be maintained because it is a fitting honour to the late Sports Administrator.

The Ga Dangme Traditional Council has called for a return to Accra Sports Stadium, threatening court action against the government if it failed the request.

The Council claims government has treated it with disrespect by refusing to respond to a petition presented to the President Kufuor in April 2004 following the renaming of the stadium as the Ohene Djan Stadium.

Nii Samoa Okropong, Mankralo of Sempe Odupong Kpehe told Joy News that the official commissioning of the stadium last Sunday as the Ohene Djan Stadium by President Kufuor was an affront to the natives of the land. Besides, Ohene Djan was an ex-convict who did not merit the honour.

But Joe told Joy News that days after the decision to name national facilities after certain personalities and the change of name duly occurred, there were agitations from some quarters in the Ga state against the policy.

The matter then was resolved to the understanding of all and wondered why anyone would want to resurrect a dead case at a crucial time of the nation’s sports development and expose the entire country to international ridicule.

Mr. Aggrey explained that the policy was not influenced by tribalism, else the Kumasi Stadium would not have been renamed after the late footballer Baba Yara, and neither would the Winneba Sports College after C.K. Gyamfi, also a great past footballer and one time captain of the Black Stars.

According to Mr. Joe Aggrey, who spoke to Joy News’ Dzifa Bampoh, Ghana 2008 is at hand and nothing should be done to divert the nation’s attention from focusing on the tournament and achieving the best from the opportunity.

Speaking of Ohene Djan, Joe Aggrey said he was somebody whose contribution to Ghana Sports can ever be denied. He is a “man who has done so much for Ghana football, Ghana sports in general. It was during his time as the first director of sports in this country that Ghana sports did so much in the world of sports and we became outstanding. He rose to become first FIFA’s vice president for Africa.”