FOOD HAWKERS AT ESSIPON STADIUM, A SECUIRTY THREAT (PAGE 29)

The activities of hawkers at the Essipon stadium in Sekondi pose danger to the safety of the teeming spectators who troop there to support their favourite teams.
The hawkers, who sell ice cream, bread and kebab, carry knives which they use in their trade. The danger is that at the end of every 90 minutes of competitive football there are winners and losers.
Very often the losers tend to take offence at the least provocation while the winners celebrate in a manner that sometimes result in fierce confrontations and fight.
An aggrieved supporter could just grab a knife when what is supposed to be fun rather causes anger.
The hawkers are supposed to be off the stands and sell at the evacuation square or on the corridors of the first floor to the stands.
Some supporters told the Daily Graphic that the National Sports Council had to set the limit the hawkers could go in their attempt to sell their wares.
According to them, the knives and kebab sticks and pepper could serve as weapons and should not be allowed where crowd with much expectation in their hearts are gathered.
According to Mr Philip K. Kurankye, a football enthusiast, even though they had taken notice of the activities of the hawkers who carried knives and other weapons, there was nothing he could say as a spectator and wondered if the authorities had taken note of the looming danger.
“To me, under normal circumstances, the best thing to do is to allow the hawkers only on the corridors so that during recess those who wanted to take in something could go there and refresh themselves but not to allow them to move to the stands. It is very dangerous,” he said.
He added that apart from the danger the weapons posed to soccer fans the hawkers also blocked the view of supporters and sometimes needed to be prompted before giving way for spectators to watch their matches.
When contacted, Mr P.N. Akowua, the officer in charge of the stadium, expressed regret about the situation and said, “I have personally driven the hawkers out and given a directive that they should not be allowed into the stands”.
He said their presence at the stands was no doubt a security threat and that he would investigate to find out why the orders he gave to the council was flouted.
“Safety is our hallmark and we will not compromise it for anything, ” he said.