Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has accused the government of mismanaging public funds, alleging that over GHC160 million was withdrawn from state coffers months after the conclusion of the 2023 African Games.
The games, held in Accra from March 8th to 23rd under the theme “Experience the African Dream,” brought together over 5,000 athletes and officials from across the continent to compete in 22 sports disciplines.
In a Facebook post dated August 22, 2024, Mr Ablakwa claimed that despite the games ending six months ago, intercepted financial documents show that the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia administration has continued to make large financial withdrawals, amounting to GHC168,386,331.00.
He revealed four key transactions:
- On May 17, 2024, GHC70 million was released to the Ministry of Youth and Sports, labeled “Payment for 13th African Games.”
- On July 3, 2024, another GHC30 million was transferred to the Ministry under the same description.
- On July 16, 2024, a further GHC30 million was withdrawn.
- That same day, an additional GHC38,386,331.00 was disbursed.
Mr Ablakwa pointed out that these payments occurred despite the Finance Ministry having already released over GHC460 million before the games’ closing ceremony, an amount he claims far exceeded what Parliament had initially approved.
He expressed concern that the ongoing withdrawals are occurring without adequate public transparency or justification.
“The government must explain to Ghanaians why these humongous post-tournament payments continue and exactly what they are being used for,” Ablakwa stated.
He added that the country’s public finances are being strained while many critical sectors remain underfunded, worsening the economic hardships faced by ordinary citizens.
Despite repeated assurances from the Local Organizing Committee and the Ministry of Youth and Sports, a comprehensive account of the total expenditure on the games has yet to be provided, six months after the event’s conclusion. This delay has sparked growing calls for accountability, especially given the large sums of money involved.
The controversy surrounding the government’s spending deepened after a recent hearing before the Public Accounts Committee. During the session, Sports Minister Mustapha Ussif revealed that the Ministry had paid the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) over $3 million to produce and broadcast the African Games. However, GBC’s Director General, Prof. Amin Alhassan, countered that the state broadcaster had only received $105,000, with the remaining amount being paid to third-party service providers.
This significant discrepancy between the figures disclosed by the Sports Ministry and GBC has fueled public suspicion about the actual distribution of funds and who the ultimate recipients were.
Ablakwa seized on this issue, arguing that the lack of clarity and the conflicting accounts only serve to heighten concerns about financial mismanagement.
“The government must come clean on the full scope of spending during the African Games, and the Sports Minister, Mustapha Ussif, should be ready to face full parliamentary scrutiny. Ghanaians are tired of the evasiveness. The day of reckoning is fast approaching,” Ablakwa warned.
tigpost.co