The Minister of Youth and Sports, Mahama Ayariga has revealed that government does not know which individual or company that airlifted some Black Stars supporters from Ghana to Equatorial Guinea for the just ended African Cup of Nations (AFCON).
[contextly_sidebar id=”JK38TZPzktXUoQFVoZRKWrqqH0IOl5Ho”]“The Ministry of Youth and Sports did not spend a single pesewa to send any fan or supporter to Equatorial Guinea. Not one Ghana cedi was expended by the Ministry of Youth and Sports,” the Minister insisted.
According to Mahama Ayariga, “I was there and heard the supporters coming; it was a pleasant surprise, because we were sitting there and we were not getting support. Sometimes I had to go to the local Ghanaian community leaders to try and mobilize Ghanaians who lived there to come and support us.”
Speaking on Eyewitness News, the Sports Minister insisted that “I did not bring any supporter to Equatorial Guinea and so I don’t have that information to come and give to Parliament.”
The Minister who appeared before Parliament on Wednesday, gave an account of expenses made by government during the three-week tournament.
Mahama Ayariga told Parliament that government spent about $5.717.869 on Ghana’s preparations and subsequent participation in the 2015 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) tournament in Equatorial Guinea.
Asked about government officials who were also at the tournament, the Minister said, “I think you should be finding that information from other sources…I know the Chief of Staff came on the instruction of the President to come and give us support and he came. When he came he spent from his budget from the office of the President.”
Mahama Ayariga also told Parliament that the Ministry spent $4,774,519.19 on preparation and GHC 3,242,580.00 during the team’s participation in the tournament.
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By: Godwin Allotey Akweiteh/citifmonline.com/Ghana