Former Deputy Minister for Youth and Sports, OB Amoah has indicated that the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) Chief Executive Officer, Alfred Oko Vanderpuije does not have a right to rename any state facility in the city.
According to him, the AMA boss despite working under the President does not take directives from his superior but rather operates in its own jurisdiction.
The Accra Metropolitan Assembly renamed the national hockey pitch after late president Mills sparking a public outrage.
The pitch which had originally being named after Madam Theodosia Okoh, the woman who designed Ghana's national flag was renamed the “John Evans Atta Mills National Hockey Stadium”, a directive given by the AMA Boss.
Speaking on Asempa FM, the former Sports Minister under the Kufour led administration finds it difficult to understand why Mr. Alfred Oko Vanderpuije should issue such directive without consultation from the Presidency.
He however said the AMA was not included in the list of institutions with the power to rename state facilities.
“My worry is that, Mr. Vanderpuije (AMA Boss) speaks as if he is the President of the Republic of Ghana. I have never heard this anywhere that if a nation solicits for funds to build a facility, the Metropolitan Assembly will pass a ruling to change the name of the facility which has been named by the State, I don’t understand it…and this is ongoing.
“…He (AMA BOSS) started this renaming of state facilities with the Ohene Gyan Stadium (Accra Sports Stadium). So if the facility is in Accra, they (AMA) have the right to rename it? If he (Oko Vanderpuije) wants to rename all state facilities, then he should go rename the Kotoka International Airport (KIA). Because he wasn’t queried when he renamed the Ohene Gyan Stadium by Late Prof Mills and the then Vice President, Mahama, he has the supremacy to be renaming state facilities,” he lamented.
Meanwhile, the Presidency has however directed the Chief Executive of the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA), Alfred Oko Vanderpuije to reverse the decision to change the name of the National Hockey Pitch.
According to information released to the Flagstaff House Press Corps, the Presidency was not aware of the decision to change the name from ‘Theodosia Okoh Hockey Stadium’ and has thus directed a reversal of the decision forthwith.
Source: King Edward Ambrose Washman Addo/ Peacefmonline.com/Ghana
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