Venue Committee Not Responsible For Accreditation - Nana Nketia

The Chairman of the Sekondi-Takoradi Venue Organising Committee (STVOC), Nana Kobina Nketia V on Wednesday said the Committee was not responsible for the issuance of accreditation to journalists to cover Ghana 2008 matches at the Sekondi Sports Stadium. Nana Nketia said although applications for accreditation were channelled through the STVOC, it was a South African Committee that was tasked to see to the accreditation of journalists. The Chairman was reacting to complaints by journalists that the Committee deliberately refused to provide them with accreditation for coverage of matches at the stadium at a meeting convened by the STVOC at Takoradi. Nana Nketia expressed regret that many journalists in Sekondi-Takoradi were unable to obtain accreditation to properly cover the tournament but that it was not the doing of STVOC as it was not in anyway involved in the accreditation of journalists and should not be blamed for the lapse. He said his own accreditation was issued to him at the last moment after he made errands to Accra to rectify the problem with the Local Organising Committee (LOC). Answering a question about tickets for the tournament, he said the Committee also did not have oversight responsibility for the sale of tickets for matches at the Sekondi Stadium. Nana Nketia, however, apologised to journalists for the lapses at the stadium that made coverage of matches difficult for the media. He said the STVOC could not implement district tours, exhibitions and other activities as part of the tournament's activities due to the lack of resources and sponsorship. Nana Nketsia said the lack of decentralisation of the entire process led to the lapses and urged the media not to lose interest in the remaining matches at the venue. He promised that all those who have still not received their accreditation would be assisted by February 1 2008.