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Ghana has no other choice than to win the Nations Cup-
Fobih
Accra, Nov 01, Ghanadot/GNA- Parliament on Thursday stamped
Ghana's fervour for football and excited the nation to go
all out to win the Confederation of African Nations (CAN)
football tournament scheduled for Ghana in January 2008.
The House, devoid of any partisanship concurred that the
nation had no other choice than to come out tops in the
16-nation soccer fiesta and to market the nation.
With only finishing touches left on the stadia and
facilities, coupled with a lot of time spent working hard,
the challenge is now for the Black Stars, Ghana national
football team, to do everything possible to win the cup.
With verve, Sports, Youth and Education Minister, Prof.
Dominic Fobih said the nation had no other choice than to
win the cup, and invited all Ghanaians to lend their support
to the Stars, saying that Mr Enoch Teye Mensah, a former
Sports Minister, now on the Minority, side would be his
champion advisor.
Mr Eric Opoku (NDC-Asunafo South), enthusiastically and
inadvertently called winning the Nation's Cup, as winning
elections, attracting, laughter, boos and jeers from
colleague legislators.
Mr Abuga Pele (NDC- Chiana Paga) had set the ball rolling on
the Tournament with a statement, enjoining the Black Stars
to work tirelessly to lift the trophy as was done by Egypt
in the last competition.
"Emerging as eventual champions is the only thing that can
satisfy Ghanaians", he said, adding the nation also needed
to reap economic, social and cultural benefits to justify
the huge investment made in hosting the tournament.
However, he noted that the most serious flaw in the nation's
preparation had been the inability of the Local Organising
Committee (LOC) to create the needed atmosphere and generate
the necessary interest in the games.
"It is clear that many Ghanaians are still unaware that the
cup of the Nations would be taking place in Ghana", he said,
and called on the LOC to put in more effort to create the
necessary euphoria through rehearsals and media programmes
on the event.
Mr Isaac Kwame Asiamah, Chairman of the Parliamentary Select
Committee on Sports, Youth and Culture, in a contribution
said the Committee was satisfied the work so far done on the
various stadia, and appealed to operators in the hospitality
industry to lend their support to the tournament by making
rooms available to Ghana's visitors.
He however said the nation must be on its guard against the
rise of immorality in such times, as instances in other
countries had shown that many young ladies had become
pregnant after such sports events. "The tournament is about
fun, not about immorality", Mr Asiamah said.
He urged the National Supporters Union to patronize events
in their numbers.
Majority Chief Whip, Mr Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, urged
contractors of
the parking lots and roads leading to some stadia to work
with dispatch and complete them on time and added that early
assembling of the Stars to train together as a team was
paramount to winning the tournament.
Prof Fobih however announced that in Accra, the whole of the
Independence Square has been allocated as a parking lot
during the tournament.
Minister for Water Resources, Works and Housing Alhaji
Saddique Boniface however, on a point of order reacted to a
complaint by Mr Lee Ocran (NDC-Jomoro) that gate fees
charges of between 10 and 200 Ghana Cedis was on the high,
explaining that fees were alleged and inconclusive.
The Minister for Tourism and Diasporan Relations, Mr Stephen
Asamoah- Boateng, announced that cabinet had set up
sub-committee, made up of all Ministries, towards the
successful organization of the tournament.
He gave an assurance that the City Hotel in Kumasi would by
be ready by December 20, 2007, as part of efforts to
accommodate visitors in Kumasi.
Meanwhile, a number of preparatory events have been
scheduled before the commencement of the tournament expected
to begin on January 20, 2008.
Among them are the handing over ceremony of the
rehabilitated Ohene Djan Stadium in Accra for the tournament
today (November 1, 2007), some road shows and friendly
matches involving Ghana and some participating countries.
GNA
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