The National Communications Officer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Sammy Gyamfi, says the lowest budgetary allocation for Ghana’s participation in the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in recent history occurred under an NDC government.
Mr Gyamfi highlighted the 2017 AFCON budget of $3.4 million, which he claims is the lowest, and stated that it was approved by the John Mahama administration in 2016 before the transition to the Akufo-Addo government.
In a Facebook post on Wednesday, January 31, the NDC Spokesman emphasised the undeniable nature of these facts.
“Also, it is evident from the data above, that Ghana’s lowest AFCON budgetary allocation in recent history, was an amount of $3.4 million for the 2017 AFCON.
“It is important to make the point, that even though this tournament was held in the year 2017, the budget was approved by the erstwhile NDC/Mahama government in 2016.”
Mr Gyamfi criticised the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government for allocating $8.5 million for the 2024 AFCON, rebuking them for what he sees as a lack of frugality during the current economic crisis.
Comparing allocations from countries like Nigeria, Zambia, and Namibia, Mr Gyamfi argued that the NPP government has not demonstrated fiscal responsibility since assuming power in 2017.
He asserted that such actions highlight the perceived irresponsibility and wastefulness of the Akufo-Addo government.
“Instead of engaging in these baseless and shameful equalizations, we urge these NPP apologists and their unpatriotic backing vocalists in the media to channel their energies into calling for a bi-partisan probe into the scandalous 2023 AFCON budget and related expenditures.”
“It is absolutely imperative, for the nation to launch full-scale investigations into the shambolic performance of the Black Stars to forestall the embarrassment the nation suffered at Cote D’Ivoire, which has become symptomatic of the corrupt and wasteful Akufo-Addo/Bawumia administration,” he added.
Source: myjoyonline.com / Ernest K. Arhinful
