Founder of Streams of Joy International, Pastor Jerry Eze, has decided to relocate his concert due to criticism from both the media and sporting circles regarding the management of the Accra Sports Stadium
Originally slated to be held at the stadium on February 24, 2024, the NSPPD Ghana Prayer Conference will now take place at the Black Star/Independence Square.
The organisers attribute the change in venue to the necessity for a larger seating capacity.
A statement on Pastor Jerry Eze’s Instagram account explained, “A transition season is indeed upon the nation of Ghana. We have now mazed out the Accra Sports Stadium seating capacity and in a bid to accommodate the thousands of registered attendees, the NSPPG Ghana Prayer Conference will now be held at Independence Square.”
Unlike the Accra Sports Stadium, which has a closed area with a seating capacity of 45,000, Independence Square can accommodate up to 30,000 people in open space.
The backlash against the National Sports Authority (NSA) stemmed from their decision to close down the Accra Sports Stadium in December 2023 for all sporting activities, opting instead to rent it out for musical concerts.
These events caused significant damage to the football pitch, with large stages erected and bikers causing havoc by screeching across the surface with motorcycles.
It took several weeks for the NSA to restore the pitch to a satisfactory condition after the concerts in December 2023.
The decision to rent out the stadium for concerts just weeks before Ghana hosts the African Games, where the Accra Sports Stadium is slated to be utilised, raised eyebrows and drew criticism from many sports fanatics.