The Tamale Sports Stadium has been officially renamed after the late former Vice President of Ghana, Alhaji Aliu Mahama.
Now known as Aliu Mahama Sports Stadium, incumbent Vice President, Alhaji Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, inaugurated it at a colourful durbar of chiefs from the entire Northern Region.
The late Alhaji Aliu Mahama lobbied for the stadium’s construction in Tamale as part of the stadia built to host the 2008 Cup of African Nations in Ghana.
As a soccer enthusiast, the late VEEP was among the founding fathers of Real Tamale United (RTU) that bonded the people of the Northern Region.He was very influential in grooming most of Ghana’s soccer legends including the Maestro, Abedi Pele Ayew.
In a ceremony to commemorate the 5th anniversary of his demise, Alhaji Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia recounted the late Alhaji Aliu Mahama’s humanitarian services, devotion and contributions to sports development and concluded that the late VEEP deserved the honour done him.
“He was principled, upright and caring. His whole life was devoted to uplifting humanity from obscurity to limelight.”
“H.E. Alhaji Aliu Mahama was a true patriot, nationalist, philanthropist, and a sports champion. He was instrumental in ensuring that the stadium got built in Tamale to support the development of sports in the North. He also played a critical role in unifying several teams into one first class team called Real Tamale United that became a force to reckon with in the football league. He supported many sports men and women such as Abedi Pele and others to rise in their respective sporting careers”.
HE the Vice President implored Ghanaians to emulate the late Alhaji Aliu Mahama’s leadership qualities. “As means of uniting many fragmented football teams and supporters from a position of weakness and mediocrity to an enviable position of strength and excellence, so should the name of this stadium be a symbol of unity, an edifice to ignite the spirit of selflessness and honesty, an emolument to inculcate the values of patriotism, nationalism and volunteerism in Ghanaians.”
The ceremony was graced by dignitaries namely the wife of the late Alhaji Aliu Mahama Hajia Ramatu Mahama, Minority leader and MP for Tamale North Hon. Haruna Iddrisu, Youth and Sports Minister, Hon. Isaac Kwame Asiamah, the Ghana Football Association (GFA) President, Kwesi Nyantakyi and chiefs in the Tamale metropolis