An artificial grass pitch, otherwise known as AstroTurf, and a sports arena in Akuapim Akropong, funded by the National Lottery Authorityโs Good Causes Foundation at a cost of GHC 2 million, now lie in ruins โ just a year after construction.
Without a single game ever being played on it, parts of the turf have been ripped apart, exposing the gravel underneath.
Weeds have taken over sections of the field, including the goalposts, while creeping plants climb over the goalposts and fences of the 578-seat sports facility.
Residents say the pitch, located in a low-lying area of the Akuapem hills, was severely damaged after a downpour.
The damage occurred before the contractor, Wembley Sports Construction Company, could hand over the facility to the community.
The Fourth Estate found that funds had been disbursed to the contractor in tranches by the Good Causes Foundation.
Residents who asked not to be named for fear of retribution told The Fourth Estate that the project, situated on what was formerly known as Ademi Park, was doomed from the start.
โNo matter how many times they fix this AstroTurf, it wonโt last,โ said one resident. โThis land is waterlogged. If the contractor had consulted us, we would have told him that what we need here is natural grass.โ
โThe park was where we held all our school games when I was in primary school,โ said a 29-year-old unemployed graduate. โNow, because the contractor refused to consult us, he has destroyed the land by building only a soccer pitch. Even the drainage system he constructed makes it impossible to create athletic tracks.โ
Contractor Shifts Blame
When The Fourth Estate contacted Robert Coleman, CEO of Wembley Sports Construction Company, he denied abandoning the project and instead placed responsibility on Sammi Awuku, the former NLA Director-General and now Member of Parliament for the area.
โI am a contractor. Speak to the MP,โ he said. โItโs the MP who commissioned me to do it.โ
According to Mr. Coleman, the drainage system constructed for the pitch is unable to handle the volume of water during heavy rains, leaving the field flooded.
โ[A different contractor] did the drainage, but it cannot accommodate the water, so it has been gushing onto the pitch. I have requested that they fix the drainage, then I will go and do the finishing touches, because the drainage system was not part of my contract,โ he explained.
He added that his portion of the work had been completed and that he had written to Mr. Awuku โseveral timesโ requesting a date for the commissioning.
The contractor further stated that once a solution is found for the drainage problem, he will return to the site to repair all the damages.
Residents told The Fourth Estate that the AstroTurf has not only deteriorated but also deprived the town of access to its only sports venue.
According to the residents, the field used to host inter-school tournaments and community games before the MP decided to convert it into an AstroTurf, which is primarily used for football. With the turf now in poor condition, residents say they have been deprived of their main playground, forcing them to seek permission from Okuapeman Senior High School to use its facilities.
They added that most of the time, their requests are denied to avoid disrupting teaching and learning.
โItโs very difficult for residents of Akropong to organize games now,โ said a pupil-teacher in the town.
The residents are demanding the removal of the artificial carpet and the restoration of natural grass, which, according to them, is the only surface suitable for the waterlogged land.
Source: Thefourthestategh
