Former Sport Minister, E.T. Mensah has supported calls for the Ghana Football Association (GFA) to give government all the $8 million given them by FIFA.
The Presidential Commission of Inquiry investigating Ghana’s participation at the 2014 World Cup tournament in Brazil has ordered the GFA to refund the entire amount to the Sports Ministry pending the conclusion of the Commission’s work.
On Thursday, the GFA refunded the $4 million loan the government gave it for the tournament.
But in an interview on Eyewitness News, E.T. Mensah said the Black Stars is a national team owned by the government and Ghanaians.
[contextly_sidebar id=”A2tSBVMVsdWw8XsvGn70Eu1DzGsKlp45″]“FIFA knows that there is no country in Africa which can run football without government’s support and this is happening everywhere. That is why when country bids for open tournament, FIFA wants to be sure that the government supports it,” he added.
“Government is not asking for the impossible, but only for the monies to be paid,” he stressed.
The former Sports Minister advised the GFA and Ghanaians to discard the notion that the money belongs to FIFA and not the government.
The Sports Minister, Mahama Ayariga had revealed that the GFA wanted to use the rest of the money from FIFA for the development of football in the country.
However, the Ministry took a position that “the money should go into the development of sports in general. That the investment should not only go into football ,but into other sports as well.”
By: Patricia Conteh/citifmonline.com/Ghana