Ablakwa Exposes Government's Plans To Spend Additional $48million On 13th African Games
- Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, North Tongu MP, has revealed that government is raising $48million for operational expenses for the 13th African Games despite parliament allocating GH₵100 million for same
- He has described the President's actions as totally lawless and unconscionable especially as the country is in an economic crisis
- He has called for a parliamentary probe into the matter
Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has revealed the government's plan to spend a whopping $48 million on so-called “operational expenses” for the 13th African Games to be hosted in Ghana.
In his latest expose, the legislator revealed that despite parliament approving GH₵100 million for the Ministry of Youth and Sports under non capital expenditure for the games, President Akufo-Addo has unilaterally varied the amount by more than six times to GH₵602 million ($48million at current exchange rate).
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This, Ablakwa says, was done at a fundraising meeting held at the Jubilee House in November, 2023 with the objective of raising the GH₵602 million.
According to the North Tongu MP, the President’s action in this regard has been “totally lawless and utterly repugnant.”
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He stated that the varied amount is expected to be spent in less than three weeks between March 5 to March 23, 2024 at a time where the country is experiencing an economic downturn.
“A number of top executives who have received the Akufo-Addo-inspired $48million (GH₵602 million) shocking request letter are outraged about the quantum for a broke country and the deliberate refusal to transparently present a breakdown.”
The President’s conduct raises fundamental ethical questions
Okudzeto Ablakwa also raised concern about the President’s selection of certain companies to his so-called fundraising event.
According to him, the president is fond of targeting state-owned companies such as GNPC, Ghana Gas, BOST and GOIL, and private companies such as MacDan, Zoomlion, MODEC and Kosmos in his fundraising activities.
This, the North Tongu MP says creates an unfair playing field for other companies competing with these “presidential companies” in any competitive bidding process.
“After these companies present their US$5million sponsorship cash to the President’s misplaced fundraising campaign, how can taxpayers be assured of value for money in the projects these entities would execute?” he added.
The Minority to probe the 13th African Games expenditure
The legislator says his party’s caucus is gearing up to invite the Sports Minister, Mustapha Ussif to Parliament to explain his ministry’s “unlawful, ostentatious and unconscionable $48million operational expenses budget which undermines the authority of parliament.”
He said the invitation will be the first in a series of constitutional actions to seek justice on the matter and may culminate in a possible impeachment of President Akufo-Addo.
“President Akufo-Addo’s unpatriotic and nation-wrecking act of approving and leading the collection of this gigantic $48million (GHS602million) for so-called ‘Operational Expenses’ for the 13th African Games deserves to be exposed and scuttled,” he said.
Ablakwa reveals government budgeted $8,506,450 for Black Stars
Earlier YEN.com.gh had reported that the North Tongu MP had leaked documents revealing that the government had budgeted $8,506,450 for the Black Stars’ preparation and participation in the AFCON tournament.
The MP described the allocation as shocking as he leaked the documents on social media.
The MP further noted that the budget was especially bizarre given the tournament prize money of $7 million.
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Source: YEN.com.gh
