Sekondi-Takoradi Organising C'ttee inaugurated

Takoradi July 23 GNA - Dr Kofi Amoah, Chairman of CAN 2008 Ghana Local Organising Committee (LOC), on Saturday said Ghana would be able to efficiently organise the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations football tournament. He was inaugurating the Nine-member Sekondi-Takoradi Venue Organising Committee (SVOC) at Takoradi.

Dr Amoah said doubts being expressed in certain quarters about the capability of the country to host the tournament are unfounded. He said the government is working hard with the LOC for the tournament to ensure the take-off of infrastructural construction that are important for the event.

Dr Amoah said there is sufficient time to complete the construction of new stadia at Sekondi and Tamale and refurbishment of the stadia at Accra and Kumasi.

Dr Amoah said, "The LOC that is charged with the Overall responsibility of organising and hosting the CAN 2008 is working hard with the Government to ensure that we succeed and succeed well." He said, "The Ministry of Education and Sports would soon announce the start-up date and allay the fears of concerned citizens." Dr Amoah said a high-powered four-man Confederation of Africa Football (CAF) delegation would be visiting the country from August 25th to 30th this year to offer suggestions towards Ghana's preparation for the tournament.

He asked the Sekondi-Takoradi Venue Organising Committee to help encourage landlords to paint their buildings, remove dilapidated and broken down vehicles and ugly kiosks from the road side and keep gutters and the environment clean before and during the tournament. Nana Kobina Nketsiah IV, Omanhene of Essikadu Traditional Area, who is the chairman of SVOC, said nobody should read politics into the work of the committee.

He said the committee is working in the interest of the country and its work has nothing to do with politics.

Nana Nketsiah urged the people to support the committee to perform its duties creditably.

He said Sekondi-Takoradi is yearning for investment and the tournament is an opportunity to market the area as well as the country. Nana Nketsia hoped the tournament would rekindle the passion for soccer in the region and the whole country and help improve the performance of the Black Stars.

The other members of the committee are Mr James Asiedu Kainyiah, Chairman of the Regional Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Vice Chairman and Mr Philip Kwesi Nkrumah, Shama-Ahanta East Metropolitan Chief Executive.

Later, Dr Amoah inspected the dilapidated building of the Atlantic Hotel, accompanied by Nana Brew Butler and Alhaji M. M. D. Jawara, both former chairmen of the Ghana Football Association and some investors. Mr Ebow Coker, a Takoradi based businessman who bought the Hotel when it was placed on divestiture, announced that the Hotel is going to be rehabilitated into a 200-room international four-star Hotel at a cost of 20 million dollars.

He said rehabilitation and expansion work that would be undertaken by Arab Construction would start in October this year and would be completed in 18 months to provide accommodation during the CAN 2008. July 23 05