Sports News of Wednesday, 31 January 2024
Source: www.ghanaweb.com
The National Communication Officer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Sammy Gyamfi has issued a response following the revelation of Ghana's colossal $8.5 million budget allocation for the 2023 AFCON.
Gyamfi, referencing data from the last seven AFCON tournaments, critiques the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government's allocation of $8.5 million, deeming it callous amid economic challenges.
Although there have been comparisons with the NDC government's past budgets for the AFCON, Sammy Gymafi disputes the claims of the NDC budgeting higher amounts, providing a breakdown of historical figures.
Gyamfi called for an investigation into the budget and urged critics to focus on scrutinizing the Black Stars' performance rather than engaging in misleading comparisons.
The long statement emphasized the need for transparency and accountability in handling public funds.
Read the full statement below:
SAMMY GYAMFI ESQ. WRITES ON THE MATTER OF GHANA’S HUMONGOUS 2023 AFCON BUDGET AND MATTERS ARISING:
1. Subsequent to the publication of the humongous budget allocation for Ghana’s participation in the 2023 AFCON by the hard working Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Hon. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, I have noted that some New Patriotic Party apologists and their media surrogates have resorted to a campaign of subterfuge, ostensibly to justify this scandalous and mind-boggling revelation.
2. In a desperate attempt to justify the gargantuan budgetary allocation of the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government following Ghana’s embarrassing exit from the 2023 AFCON, these NPP apologists and their media hirelings have dabbled in all manner of deceptive analysis of equalization and rationalization without any reasonable basis.
3.For the avoidance of doubt, below are the budgetary allocations for the last seven (7) AFCON tournaments that Ghana has participated in:
2012- $5 million
2013- $4 million
2015 - $5.8 million
2017 - $3.4 million
2019 - $6.3 million
2021 - $9.7 million
2023 - $8.5 million
4. It is clear from the above data, that the staggering $8.5 million (GHS105 million) allocated by the corrupt Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government for Ghana’s calamitous outing in Cote D’Ivoire, is the second highest budgetary allocation ever in the history of Ghana’s participation at the AFCON.
The highest is the budgetary allocation of $9.7 million for the 2021 AFCON, under the wasteful and corrupt Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government.
5. In the face of the unprecedented economic crises that Ghanaians are currently faced with, characterized by debt default, high unemployment rate, excessive taxation, unbearable cost of living and excruciating hardships, it is callous and unconscionable for the failed Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government to have even thought of budgeting a whopping $8.5 million (equivalent to GHS105 million) for the 2023 AFCON.
6. Also, it is evident from the data above, that Ghana’s lowest AFCON budgetary allocation in recent history, was an amount of $3.4 million for the 2017 AFCON.
It is important to make the point, that even though this tournament was held in the year 2017, the budget was approved by the erstwhile NDC/Mahama government in 2016. See https://modernghana.com/sports/746871/afcon-2017-sports-ministry-approves-34m-budget-for-black.html
Claims that the erstwhile Mahama/NDC administration budgeted the highest amounts for previous AFCON competitions are completely false and should be treated with utmost contempt.
7. A cursory analysis of the budgetary allocations of other participating countries in the ongoing 2023 AFCON tournament, goes to confirm how wasteful and irresponsible the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government has been in these perilous times of extreme economic difficulty.
For instance, Namibia budgeted a modest amount of about $1.1 million dollars, while Zambia budgeted an amount of $2 million dollars for the 2023 AFCON. Even almighty Nigeria, budgeted a frugal amount of $1.3 million dollars for the 2023 AFCON. The list goes on and on. This begs the question as to why debt-stricken Ghana, will budget a colossal $8.5 million dollars for the same tournament.
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— Sammy Gyamfi (@SammyGyamfi_) January 31, 2024
SAMMY GYAMFI ESQ. WRITES ON THE MATTER OF GHANA’S HUMONGOUS 2023 AFCON BUDGET AND MATTERS ARISING:
1. Subsequent to the publication of the humongous budget allocation for Ghana’s participation in the 2023 AFCON by the hard working Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Hon.…