NSA Director-General Dismisses Claims It Rented Out Borteyman Complex To Church: "They Deceived Us"
- The Deputy Director-General of the National Sports Authority (NSA) says it did not rent out the Borteyman Sports Complex to a Christian group
- Abdul Bawah Majeed said the place was given to University of Ghana students who said they were going to have a leadership talk featuring the deputy sports minister
- He said the NSA was equally surprised when videos from the event went viral and they discovered it was a church event
Abdul Bawah Majeed, the Deputy Director-General of the National Sports Authority (NSA), has dismissed claims that the Authority rented out the Borteyman Sports Complex to a Christian group.
His explanation follows a viral video on social media showing the Borteyman Sports Complex hosting what looks like a Christian service in one of its event halls.
Source: UGC
The video garnered a lot of criticism from irate Ghanaians who bemoaned the use of the $145 million complex built for the African Games for a church service.
There were concerns the hosting of non-sports activities on the site would lead to the destruction and deterioration of the event halls due to Ghana’s track record of poor maintenance.
Abdul Majeed explains what happened
However, responding to the concerns raised online, Abdul Bawah Majeed said the hall was not rented out to a church group, but rather to a group of university students.
In an interview with Citi Sports, he said his outfit was informed by the student group from the University of Ghana about their desire to host an event at the complex which would include the Deputy Sports Minister as a speaker on the panel.
He said hearing that the Deputy Sports Minister was going to be on the panel, he allowed the usage of the multipurpose hall for the event.
However, later during an inspection he discovered that the centre had been branded with church materials.
Majeed noted that after the video went viral on social media, the Students Representative Council of the University of Ghana rendered an unqualified apology to the student body, particularly those of non-Christian sects of the discomfort the programme may have caused them.
The event was supposed to be a conference about leadership and not a Christian service.
Majeed said since the completion of the African Games the NSA has been inundated with requests to host church services at the centre, but all have been turned down.
He said, the NSA is determined to keep the facility in good condition and protect it from the fate that has befallen other sports centres in the country.
Bawumia unveils Borteyman complex
YEN.com.gh reported that the Vice-President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, unveiled the University of Ghana Sports Stadium and Rugby Field on Friday, March 1, 2024.
The facility's commissioning marks the beginning of the 13th All-African Games, which will take place in Accra from March 8-23, 2024.
The 2024 NPP presidential candidate stated that the facility is also a fitting legacy for the university as it celebrates its 75th anniversary.
Proofread by Berlinda Entsie, journalist and copy editor at YEN.com.gh
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Source: YEN.com.gh
