Ace sports administrator, Herbert Mensah who was the Chairman of Asante Kotoko at the time of the second biggest recorded stadium disaster, has been committed to the cause of remembering the tragedy and the souls that lost their lives for 20 consecutive years!
The disaster occurred at the Accra Sports Stadium now known as the Ohene Djan Stadium on May 9th, 2001. It took the lives of 127 people, making it the worst stadium disaster to have ever taken place in Africa.
The incident occurred during a match between Ghana’s two most successful football teams; Accra Hearts of Oak Sporting Club and Kumasi Asante Kotoko.
Since that tragic day in 2001, a group of philanthropists under the leadership of Herbert Mensah, supported by various individuals and companies in Ghana, religiously remembered the day and the departed souls with a series of events that include prayers at churches and at the central mosques in Accra and Kumasi, “May 9th Remembered,” street walk” and a football match between teams from both the South and the North.
Due to the devastating coronavirus pandemic, this year’s edition of the commemoration was observed by a visit to Otumfuo and the Ashanti Regional Chief Imam.
Mr. Mensah with support from the United Kingdom-based charity group DESO, donated wheelchairs, walking aid, and other types of equipment to the disabled in the Ashanti Region on Thursday.
Mr. Mensah believes with what is happening in Ghana football for the past months, Ghanaians haven’t learnt anything from the tragic incident despite the awareness created. He was of the conviction that hooliganism in Ghana football needs to be stopped no matter what happens at a match venue.
He thanked DESO, Interplast, Sunda International, Gino, Eagle Rice, Melcom and other organizations and individuals for making the commemoration of the May 9th disaster a successful one.
Meanwhile, the group led by Herbert Mensah will be meeting the President of the republic, Nana Akufo-Addo on Monday, May 10, 2021, at the Flagstaff House in Accra
