Controversy erupts over ownership of Hohoe Sports Stadium

A controversy has emerged over the ownership of the Hohoe Sports Stadium following conflicting claims by former and current Members of Parliament for the Hohoe Constituency.

DJMLive posted on Facebook that, in early 2025,  after losing the Hohoe parliamentary seat in the 2024 general elections to NDC’s Worlanyo Tsekpo, former Minister and New Patriotic Party (NPP) MP, John Peter Amewu, granted an interview on Hohoe-based VOV Radio. During the interview, he stated that the Hohoe Sports Stadium was not constructed by the government but rather through the support of private individuals.

According to Mr. Amewu, each of the stadium’s four stands cost approximately US$80,000, and the entire amount—over US$320,000—was provided by a single individual. He explained that his ability to mobilise such support was made possible through both political and non-political networks available to him as a public figure.

He further disclosed that the land on which the stadium sits was purchased by his brother, Thomas Amewu, from the rightful landowners, stressing that the acquisition was done lawfully. Mr. Amewu noted that many people remain unaware of these details and often express surprise at the presence of such a facility in Hohoe, questioning why the government would invest in a stadium there rather than in Kumasi, which he described as a stronghold of the NPP.

He also claimed that the AstroTurf installed at the stadium is unique in Ghana, arguing that if the facility were a government-funded project, a similar one would likely have been constructed in Kumasi.

However, on 7 January 2026, the current Member of Parliament for Hohoe, Thomas Worlanyo Tsekpo of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), offered a different account during his “Meeting the Press” session marking his first year in office.

Responding to a question about the ownership of the stadium, Mr. Tsekpo stated that the Minister for Sports, Kofi Adams, had contacted him to seek clarification on the matter. He maintained that the Hohoe Sports Stadium is government property and not owned by any individual.

Mr. Tsekpo stated that investigations conducted by the relevant authorities had established the origins of the project, including government-issued cheques used in its construction, the involvement of former Municipal Chief Executives who signed approval documents, and the stage at which the project was undertaken. He emphasised that no individual can claim ownership of a government project simply because they continued or supported its completion.

He further argued that the purchase of the land by a private individual does not confer ownership of the stadium itself, adding that the government would not allow any attempt to lay claim to public property. According to him, the matter would be handled by the appropriate state institutions, noting that all necessary evidence was already available.

Wornayo Tsekpo cautioned that failure to uphold transparency in such matters could set a dangerous precedent, warning that future claims could even be made over public assets such as the Hohoe Municipal Assembly building.

Meanwhile, the conflicting claims have triggered heated exchanges between supporters of the NPP and NDC, with party foot soldiers trading accusations as the debate over the stadium’s ownership continues.

Awake News will follow up on this development and bring readers an update on the matter.