GFA scraps Media Relations provision from Afcon budget

Media did not receive a dime from the $50,000 allocation for the media at the South Africa World Cup

The President of the Ghana Football Association says the Association has informed the Sports Ministry of a decision to scrap a proposed amount provided for the media in its budget to the country’s Sports governing body ahead of Ghana’s participation in the 2013 Cup of Nations in South Africa.
The Ghana Football Association its budget for the Black Stars had made a provision of $70,000 for the country’s journalists who will be covering the tournament. This according to the Association was a gesture made with good intentions to help cushion the journalists while they perform their duties at the tournament.
“I've told the Minister of Sports to scrap the media relations provision ($70,000) we made because the people (journalists) who we have allocated this for, have kicked against the money. They say they don't want it. We thought we were extending a helping hand due to cases we witnessed at certain tournaments were you would see journalists surrounding top officials requesting for money to support themselves,” GFA President revealed in an interview with Kumasi-based Angel FM.
“Let me give you an example. At Germany 2006 (World Cup), right in my presence, I saw journalists surround politicians who joined us at the tournament saying; ‘Oh Honourable, since I came, I have not been able to settle my hotel bills…. And the Minister or MP will dig into his pocket and dash you some money...’
This made us to suggest that instead of these informal demands (by journalist), we budget for them so that at least we could give them about $200 or $500 (per head) to take care of themselves with it. That’s the rationale for it.”
“However, if we have made such a provision and the media are criticizing it, it’s better to cancel it. So if we meet in South Africa, you know I have nothing for you; when going for the tournament, you prepare yourself adequately and I think it’s fair,” President Nyantakyi concluded.
Mr. Nyantakyi also revealed the Germany World Cup example was one of the reasons the Ghana FA introduced the $50,000 allocation for the media at the South Africa World Cup, a gesture which almost all the Ghanaian media who covered the tournament have denied receiving even a dime from.