Tamale, Jan. 02, GNA - Northern Regional Minister, Alhaji Mustapha Ali Idris has given a four-day ultimatum to contractors working on the stadium and other works at the Tamale venue of the CAN 2008 tournament to finish and hand over their projects on schedule.

He said there was no time to waste on the external works and the training pitches, with the date for the commencement of the tournament drawing closer and that any contractor who failed to comply with the ultimatum would be black- listed in the award of future contracts.

Alhaji Idris said these in an address to major stakeholders engaged in the organization of the CAN 2008 in Tamale that involved contractors, members of the Tamale Venue Organising Committee and some members of the press and the Tamale Metropolitan Assembly. The meeting was called to entreat on the contractors and others involved in ensuring the success of the tournament to be up and doing to ensure that the Tamale venue was ready by at least two weeks before the commencement of the tournament.

"I must be frank with you, if you fail to execute your projects, you have failed the Region and mother Ghana and exposed your inability to respond to national assignment and the posterity would not forgive you", he said.

Alhaji Idris expressed concern about the way the LOC with its secretariat in Accra issues out instructions as to what has to be done in Tamale without the proper procedure He questioned, "How do you think you can sit in Accra and pretend that everything was well with organization of the tournament in Tamale. We need to coordinate to ensure success of the event for mother Ghana." The Regional Minister has also asked the TVOC to lay off the recruitment of volunteers, particularly the media assistants with immediate effect and ordered fresh intake of persons with media experience to ensure sanity.

He was also not happy with some of the sub-contractors who have abandoned their roles and were in Accra adding that he would personally tour the facilities again on Monday, January 7, and that whoever failed to hand over his project would have himself to blame.

Meanwhile, the Tamale Metropolitan Assembly has almost finished with the beautification project it has embarked upon with the street lighting system on all the major roads now functioning while beautiful statues have been erected on all the roundabouts of the Metropolis. Security has also been beefed up while all the hotels designated for the CAN 2008 visitors have been given new facelift thus making the Tamale township a haven of tourism and investment.

Mr. Mohammed Amin Adam, Tamale Metropolitan Chief Executive (MCE) said the Region is fully prepared to host the tournament at any time and appealed to all residents of the Region to rise to the occasion to ensure a successful tournament.