The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has chastised the ruling New Patriotic Party for mishandling the ongoing All African Games in the country, citing a series of embarrassing incidents that have marred the event.
The National Communications Officer of the opposition party, Sammy Gyamfi Esq in a statement reacting to South Africa’s withdrawal of its men’s and women’s hockey teams due to the substandard conditions of Ghana’s hockey pitch, described the situation as embarrassing to the country’s reputation.
“The NDC is appalled by the outrageous amount of money that has been sunk into the ongoing All Africa games by the ruling NPP government, which have so far yielded nothing but embarrassment and shame for our country”.
Sammy Gyamfi Esq.
Mr Gyamfi further chastised President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and the ruling New Patriotic Party administration for mismanaging funds meant for the organization of the sporting event.
According to the National Democratic Congress National Communications Officer, Ghana’s performance at the All African Games has also been overshadowed by a string of mishaps, including the withdrawal of Ghana’s cycling champion, Michael Naaba, after his bicycle broke down mid-competition.
Furthermore, Mr Gyamfi alleged that the country’s swimming team pulled out of the 4×100 relay final for undisclosed reasons, a regrettable development which according to him has dented Ghana’s reputation on the international stage.
The National Democratic Congress National Communications Officer alleged that the country spent approximately USD$195 million earmarked for pre-games preparations and USD$48 million allocated to the Local Organising Committee (LOC) for logistical support.
He asserted that, despite the substantial financial allocations, the ruling government failed to make the appropriate investment towards the organization of the event, a situation which has led to total embarrassment and shame to the country.
“This is yet another evidence of the ineptitude and corruption of the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia NPP government which continues to bring the name of Ghana into disrepute after rendering the national economy bankrupt”.
Sammy Gyamfi Esq.
Calls For Accountability
Moreover, Sammy Gyamfi Esq., while demanding accountability on the amount of money spent in the organization of the sporting event, further called on President Akufo-Addo to take some immediate actions to address the fallout from the event.
He began by demanding the resignation or dismissal of Honorable Mustapha Ussif, the Minister of Youth and Sports, attributing the ongoing embarrassment to the country to his alleged gross incompetence.
Secondly, the National Democratic Congress National Communications Officer called for the dissolution of the Local Organising Committee, which is responsible for organizing the All African Games.
In addition, Mr Gyamfi demanded a forensic audit of the budget and expenditure for the preparation and organization of the games, which he noted would help to unveil how the funds meant for the organization of the sporting event were utilized by the ruling government.
Mr Gyamfi concluded his statement by calling for a televised probe by Parliament into the expenditure and organization of the All African Games, to seek transparency and accountability from government officials.
He recounted that the call for accountability underscores the National Democratic Congress’s commitment to upholding the principles of probity and accountability, which is enshrined in Ghana’s constitution.
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