The Minority Caucus in Parliament is calling for a bipartisan inquiry into Ghana’s recent hosting of the 13th African Games.
The Sports Minister, Mustapha Ussif, had disclosed prior to the event that $242 million was allocated for its organization.
However, Kobina Mensah Woyome, who is a ranking member of the Parliamentary Youth, Sports, and Tourism Committee, criticized the handling of the games, labelling it a “monumental disaster” and an embarrassment for Ghana due to inadequate preparation by Team Ghana.
Mr. Woyome called for accountability regarding the budget and expenditure during the event, emphasizing that despite the significant financial investment, the outcomes fell short of expectations.
He demanded a transparent explanation from the government and an apology for the mismanagement that tarnished the country’s reputation.
“A huge amount of taxpayers’ money committed did not yield the desired impact and in addition, it has caused us disgrace with substandard pitches, disruptions during competitions, logistical challenges, poor preparation of Team Ghana and the poor management of the 13th African Games,” Mr Woyome, who is also the spokesperson on sports for the NDC said.
“As the curtains have been drawn on the games, can we boldly say as a country we have had value for money amidst the economic hardship?
Reflecting on Ghana’s performance at the Games, where it ranked 6th on the medals table with Egypt leading with 187 medals, Woyome questioned whether the expenditure was justified, especially considering the economic challenges faced by the nation.
“Government should have been more prudent in the hosting of the African Games. Government should been more sensitive and measured in making decisions that would have achieved better results than the shame we have brought on ourselves with such huge expenditure.
“We are calling on government to come out and explain to Ghanaians what accounted for the shameful occurrences and render an unqualified apology. We the NDC minority caucus are calling for a bipartisan Parliamentary probe into the budget and the expenditure for the preparation and organization of the games,” he added.
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