Other Sports of Wednesday, 29 November 2000

Source: Joy Online

Keep fit Club takes SHC to the Cleaners

The Dansoman Keep Fit Club has condemned the State Housing Corporation for selling off lands earmarked for a Sports and Recreation Centre to the International Christian Miracle Church.

At a press conference to address land encroachment issues, officials of the Club, said the Church has already began building a structure on the land at the disputed site at Dansoman, a suburb of Accra. They added that Officials of the Church had earlier approached them with offers to use a portion of the land for religious meetings, which they agreed and gave in to the requests.

Throwing more light on how the land was purchased, Club Officials said the land was acquired in 1984 and has so far generated so much interest among top government officials after they met with the Vice President together with the Minister of Works and Housing, Hon. Adjei Mensah, who are all in favor of the sports project.

They added that the Mayor of Accra has also given his support for the project to the extent that he is said to have passed comments that he would not approve the building of a church building on the site. The Club has also referred the issue to the Ministry of Youth and Sports, which has set up a Committee headed by the Ministry’s Technical Director, Mr. E.K. Afranie, to look into the case.

The Club also asked the Church to desist from labeling some of its officials as opposition members and fully blamed the State Housing Corporation for ceding part of the project area to the Church.

Meanwhile, the Police are currently investigating the case where some club members allegedly destroyed some building material belonging to the church on the project site.