Alhaji Abdulai Yakubu has no idea
how many Ghanaian supporters were
sent to Brazil on the ticket of
government.
The Chief Director of the Ministry of
Youth and Sports was speaking on
day four of the Presidential
Committee hearings into the recently
ended World Cup.
“My lord, the number of supporters?
That I don’t know because a planning
committee was set up by the former
sports minister, Elvis Afriyie Ankrah.”
The three members of the
commission expressed surprise that Alhaji Yakubu seemed
completely unaware of happenings in his own ministry.
“You are the chief director and you
did know anything about it?” Justice Senyo Dzamefe, the commission’s chairman asked.
Alhaji Yakubu quipped that the
committee formed by the sports
minister to oversee these matters
were led by a project
coordinator called Fred Darko.
“It was just yesterday [Thursday] that I received the final report of the
planning committees work in my
email,” Yakubu said.
Also surprising was the revelation
from the chief director that Elvis
Afriyie-Ankrah had left him out of key
decisions having to do with setting
up the planning committee.
Citi Sports understands that Darko
has been a known name in Ghanaian
sporting circles in the past few years,
having been appointed to the board
of the Ghana Weightlifting Federation
in April.
No minutes since 2006
It also emerged that since 2006, the Sports Ministry never took minutes of meetings had with the Ghana
Football Association [GFA] on
all World Cup related meetings.
“My Lord, even though I joined the
Sports Ministry about five years ago,
I know that several meetings between
our ministry and the GFA on all World
Cup related meetings from 2006 till
date were not documented,” the chief
director told the hearing.
This was in response to a question
by one of the members of the
commission, Moses Foh Amoaning,
as to whether there was any available
information on decisions that were
arrived at in all World Cup related
meetings.
The committee were stunned, with
Moses Foh-Amoaning leading a
barrage of questions as to why this
was the case.
Alhaji Yakubu had no explanations.
How much bonuses were really paid?
Another highlight was the apparent
inconsistency in the chief director’s
submissions.
On Thursday, Alhaji Yakubu
had hinted that some members of the GFA had been given $100,000 each as bonuses for Brazil 2014.
He however backtracked on Friday,
but soon it was clear he could not
seem to make up his mind about
whether the FA officials got
$100,000 each, whether there was a lump sum of $82,500 shared among
them, or whether they each took
$82,500.
Moses Foh-Amoaning, now frustrated
with the constants revisions in the
chief director’s testimony, urged
Alhaji Yakubu to be careful not to
perjure.
“If you are not sure of what you are
saying do not talk,” came the warning
from Amoaning, before asking the
chief director to identify those with
credible, accurate information.
It was at this point that Alhaji Yakubu
indicated that Messrs Afriyie-Ankrah
and Darko were better equipped to
answer these questions.
Citi Sports understands that duo are
scheduled to appear later next week.
Honorarium to the chief drummer
In addition, the commission inquired
as to why the Black Stars drummer,
Joseph Langabell, was included in
the list of back room staff and paid
bonuses as well.
Came the response: “My lord, the
drummer plays a very important role
within the Black Stars. He motivates
the team with his beats. He even
plays the drums in the dressing room
to spur the Stars on.”
The chief director was emphatic in
his belief that Langabell’s importance
in the Black Stars team could not be underestimated.
The commission continues sitting on Monday, August 18.
Are we serious as a country? Ghana stand up! #iloveghana
More coming soon.
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