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GFA President issues statement to commemorate May 9 stadium disaster
President of the Ghana Football Association (GFA), Kurt Okraku has today, May 9, 2024 issued a statement
to commemorate Ghana’s excruciating stadium disaster which happened in 2001 during a match between Accra Hearts of Oak and Kumasi Asante Kotoko at the Accra Sports Stadium.
He said these commemorative events serve as constant reminders that continuing efforts to rid Ghana Football of hooliganism and make our stadiums safe is “the biggest tribute we can pay to those who unfortunately died and those who were scarred by the events of May 9, 2021.”
He further noted that as we commemorate that day, the FA’s thoughts and prayers remain with all who were affected by the May 9 Disaster.
Read the full statement below
Twenty-three years ago, on May 9, 2001, thousands of vibrant men and women converged at the Accra Sports Stadium to witness the nation’s biggest local league fixture – Accra Hearts of Oak versus Kumasi Asante Kotoko.
Twenty – three years ago, millions of football enthusiasts sat glued to their television sets watching in horror as barely a few minutes after that absorbing contest ended, news of rising deaths from a stampede at the stadium started filtering through. At the last official count, one 127 football fans were reported to have lost their lives in what came to be known as the May 9 Disaster.
Year in, year out, the football fraternity and its friends huddle together to honour the memory of the dearly departed and to share strength with the families they left behind and those who sustained injuries on that dark day in Ghana’s football history.
For us, at the Ghana Football Association, these commemorative events serve as constant reminders that our continuing efforts to rid Ghana Football of hooliganism and make our stadiums safe is the biggest tribute we can pay to those who unfortunately died and those who were scarred by the events of May 9th, 2021. Their sacrifice will be meaningless if we relent in this endeavour.
As we commemorate that day, our thoughts and prayers remain with all who were affected by the May 9 Disaster. We pray for continuing comfort for us all as we remain resolute in our faith in the Almighty.
May the souls of our dearly departed brothers and sisters continue to rest in perfect peace.
May God bless and protect us all.
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Traders, ‘Okada’ riders take over Circle pavement
• Korle-Bu CEO with staff of Nivaansh MediQas
Activities of traders and drug addicts are contributing to make the Kwame Nkrumah Interchange (Circle) area very uncomfortable and unsafe for commuters.
Day in and out, pedestrians are ‘ejected’ from the pavement created for their safety as traders preferred to sell their wares on that space.
That hinders the free movement of the pedestrians.
The small space left for the pedestrians are also shared with ‘Okada’ riders.
As if these woes are not enough for a commuter on a single day, they also have to navigate carefully to avoid clashes with drug addicts and the mentally challenged.
These people have turned the pavements into their places of abode, covering every inch of space with their wares.
Our photographer, Lizzy Okai, captures some of the unfriendly scenes the authorities must try and deal with to restore sanity to the area.
By Lizzy Okai
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NDC outlines demands before committing to Peace Pact
The National Chairman of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketia, has set forth specific conditions that the party insists must be met before considering signing the Peace Pact advocated by the National Peace Council in anticipation of the December 7 elections.
Mr. Nketia expressed scepticism about the effectiveness of past Peace Pacts, highlighting that they had not achieved their intended outcomes, particularly referencing the 2020 elections, during which eight NDC members were allegedly killed by national security operatives without accountability.
During an August 20 meeting with the National Peace Council at the NDC headquarters, Mr. Nketia detailed the certain conditions for the NDC’s participation in the Peace Pact.
The NDC is demanding that the recommendations from the investigation into the violence during the Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election be fully implemented.
They also want those responsible for election-related violence in the last election to be prosecuted, stressing the importance of justice and prevention.
The party is calling for accountability regarding irregularities in the printing of ballot papers and insists that visible measures be taken to prevent such issues from happening again.
They are also pushing for a thorough investigation into the missing IT equipment from the Electoral Commission’s (EC) warehouse, expressing concerns about the integrity of the EC’s systems and the potential bias of its staff.
Furthermore, the NDC is urging the President to publicly commit to respecting the results of the 2024 elections. Lastly, the party insists that the Peace Pact should be signed by key figures, including the Inspector General of Police, the Chief Justice, the Attorney-General, and the National Security Coordinator, before they will consider signing it themselves.
Source: Citinewsroom.com
