General News of Friday, 2 February 2024

Source: footballghana.com

Parliament didn’t approve government's US$8.5m AFCON budget - Ablakwa

Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, MP for North Tongu Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, MP for North Tongu

Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has disclosed a significant lapse in parliamentary procedure regarding Ghana's participation in the AFCON tournament in Ivory Coast.

Surprisingly, the $8.5 million budget for the event did not receive approval from the house before the national team's involvement.

Ghana's disappointing exit from the AFCON, failing to advance beyond the group stage for the second consecutive time, is now accompanied by revelations of procedural shortcomings.

It appears that both the Sports Ministry and the Ghana Football Association (GFA) neglected their obligation to appear before parliament to defend the budget, as mandated by law.

Mr. Ablakwa, speaking on Luv FM, highlighted the unusual behavior of the Sports Ministry and the GFA, noting that their reluctance to present the budget raised suspicions among members of parliament.

According to him, their excuses were flimsy, and efforts to elicit information on the allocated funds for AFCON were met with resistance.