Black Stars "Gift": $50,000 Not $25,000

The National Democratic Congress (NDC) minority in Parliament claims it has reliable information that the Ghanaian contingent, at the world cup-qualifying match against Nigeria in July, received $50,000 and not $25,000 as a gift from the Governor of Nigeria's River State.

Minority Chief Whip, Edward Doe Adjaho, who revealed this in Parliament refused to name the informant in an interview with JOY-FM, but said they are in contact for more information. The GFA Chairman and deputy Sports Minister have been criticized for accepting the monetary gift after a dismal performance that ensured the Nigerians qualification to the world tournament.

A section of the sporting public have described the gift as a bribe because of pre-match rumours that Ghana had been asked to play it soft to enable the Nigerians to qualify. Mr. Doe Adjaho repeated the Minority’s call for the interdiction of veteran sports journalist and now deputy Sports Minister, Joe Aggrey and GFA Chairman, Ben Koufie, who led the Black Stars team to Port Harcourt saying that anyone who has studied something about corruption knows that the amount was a bribe and not a gift.

Mr. Doe Adjaho says the eight journalists who were part of the contingent colluded in an act of corruption since they refused to say a word about it on arrival in Ghana from Nigeria.