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Former Youth and Sports Minister, Elvis Afriyie Ankrah shed tears on Thursday during the seventh sitting of the commission set up to investigate Ghana’s participation at the World Cup in Brazil.
A teary and emotional Afriyie Ankrah told the Justice Dzamefe Commission that he felt “devastated” by how much the country’s efforts were thwarted by the issues of bonuses.
This was after the commission chairman, Justice Dzamefe, asked him how he felt when the Black Stars refused to attend two training sessions before their match against Portugal.
The former minister responded: “My Lord, they were assured that they would definitely get the money before the next match. They are professionals and know very well that they had to train adequately to win matches.
“Eventually, even though the money came on the eve, they still got the money but by not preparing for the match they couldn’t deliver.”
He continued: “The Black Stars resolved not to train ahead of their crucial encounter with Portugal if their appearance fees were not paid…”
The Minister’s words trailed off, as he dabbed his eyes with a handkerchief.
And Elvis wept.
“Honorable, relax,” Justice Dzamefe implored.
“Honorable, relax. We are helping mother Ghana.”
The chairman continued, what appeared to be, consoling the witness as he put the hearings on hold for a few minutes to allow the former sports minister to compose himself.
Ex-minister on why he (nearly) cried: “Because I was sure that even if we didn’t win the World Cup, this team could go very far.”
— Gary Al-Smith (@garyalsmith) August 21, 2014
Payment of appearance fees The commission asked Afriyie Ankrah why he could not push for the players to accept the initial $82,500 appearance fee the government touted. “The issue of the appearance fee came up, my Lord, and that is why the leadership of the team – captain Asamoah Gyan, Sulley Muntari, and Michael Essien who speak for the players – made a formal request that the 82,500 dollars approved by cabinet was not acceptable to them for the following reasons: “1: FIFA had increased the prize money from the last World Cup. 2. They were the ones who toiled and sweat on the field to get the team to the World Cup. 3. They also referred to the status of former players. 4. The players also said that their colleagues from other countries like Cameroon were being paid about 120,000 dollars as appearance fee,” he explained. Throughout the part of the session where he was speaking about money, the ex-minister was emotionally agitated. Could airlifting of $3 million dollars have been avoided?
Amazing: ex-sports minister admits that Ghana players were more powerful than the FA and the govt in negotiating for bonuses. — Gary Al-Smith (@garyalsmith) August 21, 2014
He further said financial transactions in Brazil are very difficult and it involved some security measures.
“After doing everything I had no choice than to involve National Security but as to those details, I will prefer to talk in camera.”
Afriyie Ankrah, who has now been reassigned to the Presidency as a Minister of State, told the Commission that he had been under serious pressure to cede to the demands of the playing body for their appearance fees to be paid in cash, instead of exercising an electronic option.
The commission peppered the witness on this point, forcing him to agree that he had bowed to player power. But he had his own say.
“I was kowtowed, just as the same was done to the state, to pay the $100, 000,” he said.
He however, denied claims that funds were not available at the time the tournament was ongoing. According to him, the issue had to do with how to get the money to the players since it was difficult doing so electronically.
“There was no budgetary allocation to cater for the 17 percent tax on the transaction [charge in Brazil],” he said.
He added: “It was not about the availability of the money but how to get it to them…The moment the issue of the mode of payment came up the first person I spoke to the Governor of the Bank of Ghana.”
The commission asked how the state had planned to foot extra bills if the team had progressed beyond the group stages, considering the fiasco even at just the group stage.
“My Lord, I have no answer.”
Burden of proof
The former Youth and Sports Minister told the commission that he was still at a loss as to why people would level all sort of allegations against him without providing evidence.
He dismissed reports that he had spent the Ghanaian tax payer’s money and that his wife was the only caterer contracted to cook for the supporters in Brazil.
“My Lord, all the caterers were carefully selected and I believe that the heads of the various committees we set up will provide the appropriate answers.
“My Lord, I also want to state that my mother never participated in the sale of replica jerseys as was alleged.”
He went on: “People also alleged that I was distributing money, dollars, on the hips of Brazilian women. I never did such a thing, my Lord.”
He further challenged anyone with evidence of his misappropriating the tax payer’s money to come forth with it.
Elvis regrets pushing for supporters to be airlifted by the state. “All the troubles I am facing now is from that.”
— Gary Al-Smith (@garyalsmith) August 21, 2014
Recommendations
Elvis Afriyie Ankrah made suggestions to the Commission on what he thought should happen in future instances.
He said the players should be committed to a Code of Ethics to ensure discipline.
On payment of appearance fees, he advised that monies should be given to players via electronic means to avoid the transfer of liquid cash over long distances.
He went ahead to state that qualifying matches for tournaments should also be considered when computations of appearance fees are being done so that players who played active roles in getting the team to a main tournament will also be rewarded.
“Also we need to take a second look at who gets paid appearance fee because it is sometimes unfair to those who play for us to qualify for the World Cup and yet are not selected to play. That should be changed.
An example is Jerry Akaminko, who did so well and yet did not qualify to play for his nation in Brazil.”
Finally, Afriyie Ankrah said government must not be directly involved in sending supporters to any international tournament.
The commission adjourned to resume on Monday, August 25.
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CLICK HERE FOR ARCHIVE OF DAILY SUMMARIES
DAY ONE | DAY TWO | DAY THREE | DAY FOUR | DAY FIVE | DAY SIX
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By: Pearl Akanya Ofori, Nathan Quao & Gary Al-Smith/citifmonline.com/Ghana.