10,400-Seater TnA Stadium Opens Tomorrow, Residents Hail MP

…Residents Hail MP For Significant Role; Hold Vigil Tonight 

The much-awaited 10,400-Seater newly built TnA Sports Stadium at Tarkwa in the Western Region, is set to be officially commissioned tomorrow Friday, August 16, in a grand style to allow sporting activities to take place.

The historic opening of the edifice, funded by Gold Fields Ghana Foundation (GFGF) at the cost of about $16.2 million, is expected to be attended by hundreds of football fans from the region, football administrators, commentators, officials of government, GFA, among others.

The multi-purpose stadium, described as the brainchild of the Member of Parliament (MP) for the area, George Mireku Duker, has been equipped with some modern sports facilities.

They, include a VVIP stand, general stands for spectators and officials, parking lots, an ambulance bay, LOC office, dressing rooms, offices for coaches, a media centre, and a commentary box.

Other facilities are, flood lights, physiotherapy and first aid office, office for match commissioners and referees, and a kits store.

The state-of-the-art facility, which promises to be a beacon of pride for the people of Tarkwa and the region, will serve as the home ground for Ghana Premier League side, Medeama SC, who are based in the town.

Ahead of the event tomorrow, The Anchor, is informed there would be a vigil tonight by residents at exactly 6pm, in front of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) office, near the Stadium, to honour the MP for his role in bringing the project to fruition.

Mr Duker, who is also the Deputy Minister, Lands and Natural Resources, is said to have played a significant role in lobbying Gold Fields in 2008 for the reconstruction of the stadium, when he was the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for the Tarkwa-Nsuaem Municipality.

He was said to have mooted the idea for the reconstruction of the park, however, the project was abandoned when the NPP under the erstwhile President John Agyekum Kuffour administration, lost power and exited office in 2009.

During his 2016 elections campaign, while canvassing for votes to be elected as MP for the first time, he promised the people of Tarkwa-Nsuaem, to ensure the construction of the stadium see the light of day.

The MP, despite some opposition, is said to have stood on his grounds to justify why the construction of the said sports facility in the area, is necessary.

On July 21, 2017, the MP, assembled representatives of Goldfields, Anglogold Ashanti, Iduapriem Mine, Ghana Manganese Company (GMC), African Mining Services, Ecobank, NIB, Access Bank, MTN Ghana, GT Bank, OBO Betterman and the media at a forum, where he unveiled the proposed TNA redevelopment design, he consulted AESL to produce.

There, then Chairman of the programme and Sustainable Development Manager of Goldfields Ghana Limited, Mr Robert Siaw, challenged cooperate organizations within Tarkwa, especially the mining companies to show commitment in the project, since the project when constructed, will go a long way to sell the companies outside Tarkwa, this paper further gathered.

Thereafter, a nine-member committee was unveiled by Mr Duker, and were tasked to see to it that the project commenced before September 15, 2017.

Members of the committee were; Mr Stephen Adjei – the Sustainability Manager of Anglogold Ashanti Iduapriem, Mr Robert Siaw – Sustainable Development Manager, GGL, Mr Jerry Fynn, (AMS), Mr Wisdom Adjei Mensah – the Human Resource (HR) Manager at Ghana Manganese Company, Mr Benson Ankomah – (Manager, NIB), Mr Kennedy Ofosuhene (MTN), Mr Perry Mensah – a representative of the MP, Mr Josiah of Space FM (Rep from the media house) and Mr Emmanuel Biney, from OBO Betterment.

Subsequently, Goldfields Ghana through its Goldfields Community Trust Fund Board (of which Mr Duker is still a member), with the support of the then Executive Vice President, Goldfields West Africa, Mr Alfred Baku, discussed the reconstruction of the TNA Park, where Goldfields accepted the proposal and agreed to fund it single-handedly.

Recalled the MP, during one of his inspection visits to the edifice in October 2022, wondered why some political figures, appeared not to be enthused to acknowledge his roles, stressing that “reconstruction of TnA Park is about Mireku Duker.”

“So, a committee was constituted to make sure we have a well- designed and preferable stadium, and after year of presentation and scrutiny, they did the due diligence. I was overwhelmed and excited about the decision by Gold Fields accepting the designs,” the MP stated.

Source: Anchorghana.com