2014 World Cup White Paper not on my radar – Akufo-Addo

The President of Ghana, Nana Akufo-Addo says he is not privy to a lot of information regarding the 2014 FIFA World Cup Commission of Inquiry, and its consequent White Paper that was issued by ex-President John Mahama administration.

Akufo-Addo, in a “Meet the Press’ session to mark his one year in office, conceded that he may have to consult his sports minister, Isaac Kwame Asiamah, for advice on the way forward regarding the work of the Commission of Inquiry set up in the aftermath of Ghana’s abysmal performance at the 2014 FIFA World Cup held in Brazil.

Asked by popular sports presenter Patrick Osei Agyemang, also known as Countryman Songo, if he has plans of implementing the recommendations of the Justice Senyo Dzamefe Commission, Nana Akufo-Addo said “to be honest I have forgotten about the 2014 World Cup report but I have no doubt that my Minister of Sports is aware of it and would advise in due course what should be the reaction of me and the government to it. It is not something which has been very much on my radar”.

It would be recalled that former President Mahama set up a Commission of Inquiry led by Justice Dzamefe to look into the circumstances that led to Ghana’s poor showing at the 2014 World Cup and the circumstances the led to over 3 million dollars being flown to the team in Brazil to pay bonuses of the players who had threatened to boycott the tournament.

Meanwhile, it has been over three years since the Dzamefe Commission finished its work and a government White Paper was issued to that effect, but most of the recommendations in the Commission report are yet to be implemented.