The Ranking Member on Youth and Sports Committee in Parliament, Kobina Woyome has described as misleading and untruthful, the claim by the Finance Minister that the Essipong Stadium is 90% complete.

Ken Ofori-Atta while presenting the budget to Parliament on November 17, 2021, stated that the government has almost completed the renovation of some stadia across the country.

“Some stadia across the country were renovated in 2021 and are at various stages of completion as follows: Accra Sports Stadium – 98% complete; Phase I of Baba Yara Stadium – 98% complete; Essipong Stadium – 90% complete; and Cape Coast Stadium – 60% complete,” he said.

But Speaking on News Night on Monday, the South Tongu MP, stated that the government, since the approval of GH₵18 million in the 2018/2019 budget for renovation works on these stadia, has not allocated any funds in the subsequent budgets for the continuation of the renovation works.

According to Mr. Woyome, checks by the committee proved otherwise and that Essipong stadium is nowhere near 90% completion.

“Now, where we are currently as we speak, we are aware that nothing really has gone on as far as Essipong is concerned. And so I was thinking that the government would have come out clearly and be candid with the people that look this is where we are, this is how much has been released to the contractor and this is what the contractor has been able to do.

But then to put a statistic to it that they have completed about 90% as contained in paragraph 976 of the budget statement and with our checks and some of the photos before us, it is clear that, government through the Finance Minister to Parliament, to the entire country has not been truthful,” he said.

Checks by Joy Sports George Addo Junior at the Essipong Stadium revealed that the stadium is not 90% complete.