Why NSA rented Accra Sports Stadium to Stonebwoy without covering the pitch – Prof Twumasi provides answers

The Director General of the National Sports Authority(NSA), Prof. Peter Twumasi has justified his outfit’s unwillingness to cover football pitches for long-hour events.

He argued that football pitches are covered for short-hour events in the various stadia, but left uncovered for long-hour events to avoid heat-stressed grass that could damage the pitches entirely.

This was in response to a question posed to him by the Member of Parliament (MP) for Ningo Prampram, Samuel Nartey George at a public account committee hearing on February, 5.

The MP citing award-winning dancehall artist Stonebwoy’s  Bhim Concert held at the Accra sports stadium in December 2023 lamented the poor state of the pitch and why it was not covered for the concert.

The grass has been left destroyed after the show with football not expected to be played at the stadium for several weeks if not months.

Mr. George asked the NSA boss why the grass wasn’t protected before giving out the stadium for the Bhim Concert or any other show.

Prof. Twumasi answered, “Mr. Chairman, when stadia are used for short-hour events, we cover pitches because it is just for a short while and won’t generate much heat to the grass but when they are used for long-hour events we don’t cover them so not to put much stress on the grass to prevent damage to it”.

According to him, the NSA as managers of stadia are doing their best to maintain standards of football pitches in the country.

Background

In December 2023 on X(formerly Twitter), the Ningo-Prampram MP, Sam George heavily criticized the Director General (DG) of the National Sports Authority (NSA) for the state of stadium pitches across the country.

The MP’s statements came in the wake of events that transpired after the Stonebwoy concert held at a stadium, where the pitch depreciated significantly.

The Member of Parliament slammed the NSA DG for allowing non-football events to cause damage to stadium pitches, emphasizing the lack of proper rehabilitation measures following such events.

He highlighted the absence of pitch covers, a standard method used globally to protect grass during non-sporting events, which the DG claimed the NSA possessed and utilized during testimony before the Public Accounts Committee in March 2023.

Contrary to the DG’s statement, no pitch covers were used during the recent event, signaling, according to Sam George, another instance of false testimony given under oath.

This revelation has stirred controversy, with George openly stating that the DG has a history of dishonesty during parliamentary proceedings.