Africa-Press – Ghana. The Ketu South Municipality is set to benefit from an ultra-modern sports complex following a community engagement with residents of Avoeme ahead of the rehabilitation of the Avoeme–Aflao football field.
The project, fully financed by the Felix Akonta Akakpo Foundation, is expected to be completed within six months.
The initiative will begin with major land reclamation works to prevent perennial flooding of the area during heavy rains.
A minimum of 800 trips of sand will be required to raise the project site to the level of the main Aflao–Accra road.
When completed, the facility will comprise a standard football park, volleyball court, basketball court and handball court.
It will also include toilet facilities, dressing rooms and a borehole water system.
Additional components of the project include fencing of the entire site, construction of an access road to link the community on the other side of the lagoon and the establishment of a school to complement the existing Avoeme Basic School.
Speaking at the engagement, Mr Felix Akonta Akakpo, recently installed by the Aflao Traditional Council as Torgbui Tenuvi II in recognition of his benevolence, said the project was aimed at promoting youth development and improving sports infrastructure in the municipality.
He said he was working closely with traditional leaders, the youth and other stakeholders to ensure the successful execution of the project.
“My fidelity is to the people of Ketu South, both born and unborn generations. The future is now and we must deliver the needed development to our people without any preconditions,” he said.
He called for the cooperation and support of all residents to ensure the timely completion of the project.
Mr Alex Vandapoure, a youth representative of Avoeme, commended Mr Akakpo for the initiative, stating that many talented young men and women in the community had missed opportunities to advance their football careers due to the lack of a standard training pitch.
He recalled several unfulfilled political promises to rehabilitate the field and pledged the full support of the youth towards the successful completion of the project.
Rev Charles Dorkenu, Public Relations Officer of the Ketu South Education Directorate, described the project as a game changer for both community and school sports.
He said the facility would greatly support inter-school competitions, including inter-zone and inter-circuit games, noting that students often had to travel long distances under risky conditions to participate in sporting events due to the absence of a standard pitch.
Rev Dorkenu added that the poor state and unavailability of quality sports facilities had also posed challenges to organisers of school competitions.
He appealed to Mr Akakpo to extend similar support to other schools within the municipality that lacked adequate infrastructure.
Work on the project has commenced, with chiefs and residents expressing joy and optimism about the transformative impact the sports complex would have on youth development and community life in Avoeme.
