The Minority Caucus in Parliament has strongly accused the ruling government of mismanaging the affairs of the organization of the just-ended 13th All African Games that was hosted by the country.
The Ranking Member on the Parliamentary Select Committee on Youth, Sports and Culture, Honorable Kobena Mensah Woyome in a press conference described the organization of the event as a “monumental disaster and total embarrassment” to the country
The Honorable Mensah Woyome further chastised President Akufo-Addo, the Ministry of Youth and Sports and the Local Organizing Committee of gross mismanagement, extravagant spending, and numerous instances of neglect and incompetence.
“Given the current state of the Ghanaian economy which has been rendered bankrupt by the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia NPP government, emerging details about the hefty expenditure on the games raise eyebrows and concerns among Ghanaians.
“Several unfortunate incidents that were recorded in the course of the games left many wondering whether that quantum of money was really spent on the games”.
Honorable Kobena Mensah Woyome
The National Democratic Congress Member of Parliament for South Tongu in the Volta Region further argued that the games, which aimed to showcase Africa’s sporting prowess and promote unity, were marred by a series of unfortunate incidents.
He noted that despite a staggering expenditure of $240 million allocated by the New Patriotic Party administration under President Akufo-Addo and Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, the organization and management of the event fell far short of expectations.
The Honorable Mensah Woyome also alleged that the government sacrificed value-for-money principles and breached the country’s procurement laws, particularly the Public Financial Management Act leading to huge expenditure characterizing the event.
Furthermore, the Minority Caucus in Parliament asserted that the hosting of the games lacked clear policies for tourism promotion and trade facilitation, failing to provide any tangible economic benefits to offset the massive expenditure the country made.
The Honorable Kobena Mensah Woyome comparing Ghana’s hosting of the event with other countries which hosted the event in the past such as Morocco and Congo Brazzaville, argued that such countries spent significantly less on their respective events while delivering impressive infrastructure and facilities, unlike the case of Ghana.
“Four years ago, Morocco hosted the 12th edition of the African Games, and spent €46 million. Prior to that, Congo Brazzaville spent $60 million to host the 11th edition. With this amount, they built an ultramodern 65,000-seater capacity stadium, a beautiful games village and a new sports dome complex for indoor games”.
Honorable Kobena Mensah Woyome
He also bemoaned what he described as the neglect and mistreatment of Ghanaian athletes during the event.
The Ranking Member of Parliament Committee on Youth, Sports and Culture recounted the shocking reports that emerged of some Ghanaian athletes having to provide their own personal kits and equipment, with some even resorting to wearing inappropriate outfits during competitions.
He also lamented over an incident in which some athletes of the country were transported to the games venue in the trunk of an old pickup vehicle.
The Honorable Mensah Woyome attributed the above-mentioned incidents to the lack of effective preparation on the part of the country, stating that the lack of preparedness extended to critical areas such as venue infrastructure and medical services.
He recounted instances of delayed matches due to missing equipment, including volleyball nets, and the absence of essential medical facilities like ambulances that painted a grim picture of the organizers’ incompetence.
According to him, the instance where some athletes competed in substandard pitches and facing unnecessary risks due to inadequate medical support tarnished Ghana’s reputation on the international stage.
“In addition, our national cyclist champion Michael Naaba had to rely on his own personal bicycle which unfortunately broke down in the middle of the cycling competition. He had no choice but to withdraw from the race.
“Government, the National Sports Authority, the Sports Ministry and the Local Organizing Committee made no effort whatsoever to provide an immediate intervention to get him another bicycle. What happened to all the money voted for logistics and equipment. ‘Na sika no wo hi”?.
Honorable Kobena Mensah Woyome
Politicization of Event
Moreover, the Minority Caucus in Parliament raised concerns about the politicization of key roles within the Local Organizing Committee (LOC), citing the appointment of individuals with questionable credentials to prominent positions.
The Honorable Kobena Mensah Woyome posited that the decision by the government, particularly the Ministry of Youth and Sports and the Local Organizing Committee to have made one Reks Brobbey, a figure with no significant sporting achievements, light the African Games flame was unfortunate, describing it as a smack of conflict of interest.
He questioned why despite all the legends and sporting icons Ghana can boast of including Azuma Nelson, Abedi Pele among others, it was Reks Brobbey who served as the Chief Operating Officer of the Local Organizing Committee of the event that was chosen to light the African Games flame.
In addition, the Member of Parliament for South Tongu chastised President Akufo-Addo over his dismissive response to concerns raised about the event by some well-meaning Ghanaians during the closing ceremony.
He noted that President Akufo-Addo’s refusal to acknowledge the mismanagement that characterized the organization of the event and his rather unfortunate attack on critics only affirm his longstanding posture against public criticisms.
The Honorable Mensah Woyome mentioned that instead of President Akufo-Addo using such an opportunity to unite the country regardless of the various concerns expressed, his closing remarks were rather an insult to all who expressed genuine concerns about the preparation and hosting of the just-ended 13th African Games.
He stressed that the conduct of President Akufo-Addo clearly contradicts the vision of the country’s forebears such as Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, whose vision was to use sports to unite the people of the continent, hence the continental games.
In light of these damning revelations, the Minority Caucus called for a bipartisan parliamentary probe into the budget and expenditure for the preparation and organization of the games.
The Ranking Member for the Parliament’s Committee on Youth, Sports and Culture also demanded a comprehensive explanation from the government and an unqualified apology for the lapses that tarnished Ghana’s reputation on the continental stage.
READ ALSO: Ghana Highlights Women’s Role in Green Economy at UN
