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Let’s share the fun and economic benefits of Ghana 2008
A GNA Feature by Edmund Quaynor
Koforidua, Nov. 27, Ghanadot/GNA - One of
the many historical events that all Ghanaians are expecting
next year is the organization of the MTN Ghana 2008 African
Nations Cup soccer fiesta in the country.
For the members of the soccer fraternity, the fiesta would
be a time for the country to make history and enjoy the fun
of seeing almost all the best football nations on the
Continent for this historical time and their best soccer
stars exhibit their talents on the field.
The fiesta is also the time for the country to showcase the
best that it has in almost everything to the world and to
mobilize all the immediate economic benefit associated with
the fiesta and if possible all other benefits that could be
generated from the tournament in the future.
However, the future benefit would to a large extent depend
on how the country organizes and present itself during the
tournament. This, therefore, calls for efforts to ensure
that the whole country is involved in the show to enable the
greater number of the citizens to also benefit directly or
indirectly from the economic gains of the tournament.
To ensure that greater number of citizens of the country
share in the economic exploits of the tournament brings to
mind, the issue of provision of accommodation to the many
fans and soccer businessmen and businesswomen who would be
coming to the country during the tournament.
There are a lot of media publications about problems of
provision of suitable accommodation for the visitors in
Takoradi and Tamale while in Accra people are being
encouraged to give out their homes to be rented out to the
visitors. There is an advertisement on the internet of
promoters who claim they could arrange for people to live in
with some families.
There is a saying that “coming events cast their shadows”,
the truth is that one cannot guarantee the sexual
orientation, religious, moral and ethical values of the
visitors by just looking at their faces. Already the country
has had a test of some embarrassing sexual scandals
involving visitors to the country which are before the
courts and so one need not say much about them.
To avoid such embarrassing events to both the country and
the visitors, it would be good for all to ensure that the
visitors are put up in hotels where there are facilities to
contain them for the country to save the youth, sisters,
wives and mothers from some embarrassing experiences.
A well plan strategy could ensure that the visitors are
spread out in hotels throughout the country. It would not be
out of place for example if the hotel facilities at Accra
are not adequate, arrangements are made for some of the
visitors like coaches whose teams are not playing but have
come to watch the matches in Accra together with scouts and
other football administrators who have the resources are put
up at hotels in Ada, Sogarkope and other hotels along that
route where within two hours they could be in Accra.
Similarly some of the visitors could be put up in hotels
within the Southern part of the Eastern Region, along the
Akosombo stretch, the Akwapim Area even up to Koforidua and
even in hotels at the eastern part of Central Region up to
Swedru.
Visitors who want to watch matches in Takoradi could be
housed in hotels in Central Region even up to Cape Cost. In
the same vain, visitors to watch matches in Tamale could be
housed in hotels in Bolgatanga.
Fans to watch matches in Kumasi could also be spread to good
hotels throughout the Ashanti Region and parts of the Brong
Ahafo Region.
The most important aspect of such arrangements is to ensure
that the visitors are housed within areas where the
travelling time is about two hours.
Such arrangements would require that the whole country is
prepared to receive the visitors and not only the towns
where the matches would be taking place.
The national security system also has to be reorganized to
ensure that the visitors received adequate protection at the
hotels, on the roads and at the matches.
It is not too late to prepare. It is important to state that
the refurbishing of facilities would provide job for the
boys.
The visitors would come and go, but the repainting of
facilities, the repairs of damaged roads and the cleaning of
the environment in preparation for the visitors and during
their stay with would remain.
The spreading of the visitors through out the country would
help to spread the fan and economic benefits of the
tournament throughout the country.
The other advantage is that the country could present the
best that it has to the visitors and prevent the situation
that the organizers due to geographical limitations would be
forced to present even average facilities to the visitors.
There is an argument that spreading the visitors across the
country also has the problem of exposing some of the youth
and ladies of the country to the sex trade and sexually
transmitted infections.
Though there is another counter argument that even if the
visitors are concentrated in the venues for the matches such
threats are still there , the best option left for the
nation is to embark on a vigorous media campaign in the
local languages on the threats of the HIV/AIDS and its
dangerous effect on the individual and the society as a
whole before the tournament and during the period.
The spreading of the visitors around the country could
enable the country to take advantage to advertise
the tourist facilities of the country and
on free days when matches are not being played at certain
venue, the food and beverage industry, the musical industry
and the district assemblies could package musical and
cultural concerts.
The country needs to start serous preparation of its
transport system to be able to provide the necessary support
for the organization of the tournament.
Special training need to be organized for the members of the
various private transport unions on how they could conduct
their activities. The training should not be limited to only
drivers in the car hiring industry alone but to also those
providing the trotro services.
Let the Ghana CAN 2008 soccer fiesta be a shared economic
gain and soccer fun to all.
GNA
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