It has emerged at the Presidential
Commission investigating matters
related to the 2014 World Cup
appearance that government spent
only $471,130.39 on the Black Stars
at the tournament, figure far less than
earlier reports had
suggested.Responding to questions
from the three man commission, the
Chief Accountant of the Ministry, Mr.
Prosper Apasu provided a breakdown
of the actual expenditure the State
incurred on the appearance of the
Black Stars at the Brazil Mundial.
Mr. Kpasu disclosed that the
government spent a total of
$4,474,891.47 but noted that since
this is inclusive of the loan the
government extended to the GFA, it
meant that government spent only
$471,130.39.”
Why the contradictions now? When
did the grant convert into a loan? It
became a loan the moment
government was caught with its own
lies. Folks, the simple explanation is
that, the Ministry of Sports and this
government knew that Blackstars
don’t need the government to bear
the expenses of Blackstars because
FIFA pays for Blackstars expenses
from preparation stage where $1.5
million is made available to the team
for camping and all their hotel bills
when they get to the host country.
The team was also guaranteed $8
million even if they lose all their three
matches and the Players
APPEARANCE FEES are paid from this
amount. The government has no
business budgeting anything for
Blackstars but they do because it is
an avenue for stealing.
When the good citizens of Ghana
were grumbling about the four million
dollars that chartered the Presidential
plane as “DROPPING”, why didn’t the
government tell us the citizens to
calm down because this is a loan that
will be paid back when the FIFA
money comes in?
Why did the President insist of
committee inquiry instead of
commission inquiry? With
commission inquiry, whatever comes
out, those found to have committed
crimes according to my
understanding cannot be prosecuted
as happened in the case of the 50th
Independence anniversary celebration
inquiry where the government could
not prosecute anybody and Mahama
is telling us he is fighting corruption.
What is he afraid of that made him
insist on commission of inquiry
instead of committee investigation
where people found to have stole
money could have been prosecuted?
FIFA don’t want any government of
member country to interfere in the
operations of its members FA and
that is why it finance their operations.
The government is well aware the
Blackstars don’t need its largesse so
why did the government tell the team
it will not ask for the money it
advanced to the team back? This is
where the government stealing of
Ghanaian Taxpayers money would
have taken place. The three entities,
Mahama, Afriyie Ankrah and Kwesi
Nyantakyi would have pocketed the
government budget since they have
told Ghanaians that the money to
Blackstars was free and would have
paid all the Blackstars expenses from
the money the team won from the
tournament. In our celebrating mood
if the Blackstars would have done
well, this plan would have worked to
perfection because there would noy
have been any investigation. Why is
this government deviating from the
previous arrangement where money
given to Blackstars in 2006 and 2010
were loans that were paid back? The
reason is that, the same
arrangements would have been
followed like 2006 and 2010 but this
time instead of the money going back
to the government coffers, the money
would have ended in the pockets of
few individuals including the three
people mentioned in this article.
The information coming out of the
Presidential commission shows how
corruption has eaten deep into the
fabric of the Ghanaian society and a
social canker that needs a major
surgery to address it instead of the
feel good investigative bodies whose
findings always ends up in the attic
of somebody’s house.
Four million dollars($4million) was
transported to Brazil to pay the
Players and the Technical Staff
Appearance money of $100,000 each
to 33 people, comprising 23 Players
and ten Technical Staff members, that
will total $3.3 million. Now it has
come out 7 committee members also
benefitted from this money by $82,500
each. That leaves a balance of
$112,500. Why do we pay committee
members appearance fees? The most
insulting aspect of this robbery is
that, the balance of $112,500 was
shared by some few people at the
GFA committee members who didn’t
get the chance to go to Brazil as
their APPEARANCE FEES. Are we
serious as a nation? Where did they
APPEAR to get APPEARANCE FEES?
Why should we give APPEARANCE
FEES to committee members?
The news coming out of Afriyie
Ankrah’s testimony at the
commission shows how endemic
corruption is embedded at the
Ministry of Sports.
I said it before that, the government
has been mingling its expenses with
Blackstars so that the Mafia like
clannish crime can be visited on the
good People of Ghana. Why was
Afiriyie Ankrah crying at the
commission on Thursday August
21st? He was caught in lies and that
guy is just a shell of his proud self.
In future if we are lucky to qualify for
the world cup, the GFA should source
funds from the Banks as a loan with
the FIFA guaranteed prize as surety
and cut the government out from its
business.
If the government wants to reward
the Players and the Technical team, it
should do so only after the
tournament and the Ministry of
Sports budget should not be more
than $250,000-$500,000 million
dollars for the five to ten officials it
will send to accompany the team.
This is not brain surgery.
No amount of crocodile tears Afriyie
Ankrah sheds, Ghanaians are not
going to have any sympathy for him.
We have been defrauded too many
times our discounted sympathy
coupons have been exhausted.
Justice Sarpong
(CARDINAL of TRUTH)
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