The National Communications Officer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Sammy Gyamfi, is calling for a bipartisan investigation into Ghana’s budget and related expenditures for the 2024 AFCON tournament.
He argues that a brief analysis of the budgetary allocations of other participating countries in the ongoing 2023 AFCON tournament will reveal wasteful and irresponsible spending by the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government, especially during these economically challenging times.
In a Facebook post on Wednesday, January 31, Mr Gyamfi stated that the government’s attempt to equalize the issue is deceptive and emphasised that Ghanaians are demanding accountability.
He urged the government to urgently initiate a bipartisan probe into the matter.
“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 posted.
The North Tongu MP, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has alleged that the Youth and Sports Ministry budgeted approximately $8.5 million, equivalent to GH¢105 million, for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.
According to the lawmaker, both the government and the Ghana Football Association (GFA) attempted to conceal the budget for the country’s preparation for the AFCON.
In a social media post, Ablakwa claimed to have intercepted documents from the Youth and Sports Ministry revealing a budget of US$8,506,450.00 for AFCON 2023.
“It must be clearer now as to why the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government and FA officials have put up such a brave fight, albeit undemocratic, just to hide the Black Stars AFCON budget.
“Parliament must and will surely probe this astonishing budget when we resume from the 6th of February 2024,” he added in the post.
Source: myjoyonline.com / Ernest K. Arhinful
