Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has urged the removal of Youth and Sports Minister Mustapha Ussif, citing the deteriorating state of the nation’s stadiums.
Ablakwa contends that the minister must be held responsible for the failure of sports authorities to maintain these facilities.
He further criticised President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s decision to dismiss Interim National Sports Authority Director General Dodzie Numekevor, stating that it falls short of resolving the broader issues at hand.
“President Akufo-Addo’s face-saving dismissal of the NSA boss cannot suffice.
The sports minister must equally be fired, and all those responsible for this humongous international disgrace and huge financial loss to the state should be prosecuted.
“Creating one scapegoat is not adequate deterrence for the unprecedented monumental international embarrassment the corrupt and inept Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government has subjected Ghana to,” he wrote on X.
The call for the minister’s dismissal comes after the Confederation of African Football (CAF) withdrew its approval of the Baba Yara Stadium, citing concerns such as an uneven pitch, poor drainage, and insufficient grass coverage.
This decision followed Ghana’s Africa Cup of Nations Qualifier against Angola on September 5, 2024.
In response, the Ministry of Youth and Sports has directed the Ghana Football Association to invite CAF officials to assess the Accra Sports Stadium and the Legon Stadium to determine if they meet the necessary standards for hosting future Black Stars matches.