The Minister for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Ahmed Ibrahim, has provided a detailed explanation regarding the delay in the construction of the AstroTurf facility in the Sekyere Kumawu District.
The project, which was expected to enhance sports infrastructure in the area, has been stalled since September 2024.
Answering questions raised by Ernest Anim, Member of Parliament for Kumawu Constituency, on when will work resume on the abandoned AstroTurf at Bodumase in the Kumawu Constituency.
Minister, Ahmed Ibrahim revealed that the delay is primarily due to a necessary structural assessment and cost analysis.
According to the minister, these evaluations are critical to ensure the integrity of the project and to guarantee that the contractor receives a fair allocation of funds to resume and complete the work.
The minister explained “The Sekyere Kumawu District Assembly intended to site the project in Kumawu. However, the site was changed to Bodumase in the same district because a similar project was being executed at the original site.
He continued “Mr. Speaker, the Sekyere District project was part of the package including Sekyere Central and Afigya Kwabre District Assemblies, which was awarded to Joy Sika Company Limited, totalling an amount of Ghc40,924,635.29. The project was expected to be completed in six months.”
However, the minister acknowledged that progress halted in September 2024 when interim payment certificates (IPCs) were not honored promptly by the District Assembly, leading the contractor to vacate the site.
The minister recounted “The AstroTurf project commenced in June 2024 after payment of 15% mobilisation to the contractor. Work on the project has stalled since September 2024 due to delays in honouring the interim payment certificates.
“Mr. Speaker, due to the delay in payment of the interim payment certificates by the DSA, the contractor has since left site due to non-payment of the IPCs,” he stressed adding “currently the work done on the project is 35%,” he noted.
When pressed by Kumawu MP Ernest Anim on when work will resume, Minister Ibrahim was candid and passionate.
Minister Ibrahim emphasized the government’s commitment to seeing the project through to completion.
He stated, “As leaders of the country, we cannot abandon these projects. We need to conduct a fair assessment, and that must take time. That is why I am saying, give me time. I will carry out the assessment. As a colleague, I cannot allow 35% of the work, with a total cost of GHC 14 million, to go to waste.”
He further explained that an internal audit and reconciliation process concerning the DACF payments is currently underway.
“There’s an ongoing internal audit reconciliation at the DACF, which I am aware of, so we have to wait until it is completed. Then, we will engage and complete this work.”
This AstroTurf pitch, part of a larger Ashanti Regional initiative to install 20 synthetic football fields, was designed to bring modern sports facilities to the doorstep of communities like Kumawu and Bodumase.
Originally slated for Kumawu town, the site was shifted to Bodumase to avoid duplication, a move that raised expectations for local youth eager to enjoy a world-class playing surface.
The project, worth over GHC 40 million and awarded to Joy Sika Company Limited, kicked off in June 2024 with much fanfare. But just three months later, work ground to a halt. Today, only 35% of the pitch stands completed, a stark reminder of the challenges facing infrastructure projects across the country.
By: Kwadwo Owusu
