Aburihene petitions Akufo-Addo to rename Accra Sports Stadium after Ohene Djan

The Aburihene, Nana Otubuo Djan Kwasi II, has petitioned the Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo led government to re-name the Accra Sports Stadium after Ohene Djan.

Ohene Djan who was the first Director of Sports of Ghana and the Vice-President of the Confederation of African Football was named after the Accra Sports Stadium before the 2008 African Cup of Nations tournament here in Ghana by the then President John Agyekum Kuffour.

However, the GA Traditional Council and some GA youth petition the Professor John Evans Atta Mills government in 2010 for Ohene Djan’s name to be removed from the stadium because he was not a GA native.

After a series of demonstrations for more than two months, President Atta Mills heeded to the calls of the GA Traditional Council hence the Ohene Djan Sports Stadium was renamed to Accra Sports Stadium.

Nine years after the stadium was re-named as the Accra Sports Stadium, The Aburihene, Nana Otubuo Djan Kwasi II who was a nephew to Ohene Djan has said that the move to change the stadium name is disrespect to their family.

“This thing that has happened to us wouldn’t have happened if it was another tribe in the equation. When they named the Kumasi Sports Stadium after Baba Yara, the whole Asanteman and Otumfuo Osei Tutu II welcomed the decision with open arms so why should the Ga people have a problem with naming the Accra Sports Stadium after Ohene Djan?.”

“We have spoken about this for a very long time. My brothers from the Ga community should have it on the back of their minds that the Akuapim’s cannot talk and agitate as they did. They(GA people) shouldn’t forget that it was our ancestors who gave them lands to settle when they first arrived at Jamestown. The very place they are now was given to them by us(Akuampim’s). We don’t have any issue with them.”

“The stadium was named after Ohene Djan because of his numerous contributions to Ghana Sports and not on tribal basis. The family is hurt about what has happened but it is not too late. The President, the Sports Minister, and the GFA Chairman should see to it that this issue is resolved because Ohene Djan deserves to be named after the Accra Sports Stadium” Nana Otubuo Djan Kwasi II told Accra based Angel 102.9 FM.

Source: ghanaweb.com