The Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has made serious allegations regarding the budget for the upcoming 13th African Games scheduled to take place in Accra from March 5 to March 23, 2024.
In a post on his social media pages, he claimed to have intercepted documents revealing plans by the government to spend a staggering amount of US$48 million on operational expenses for the games.
Key points highlighted in his post include:
- The intercepted documents allegedly show that President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and officials at the Ministry of Youth and Sports and the Local Organising Committee (LOC) have agreed to spend US$48 million on operational expenses for the African Games.
- This US$48 million is separate from the US$195 million already spent on infrastructure for the games.
- At the prevailing exchange rate, US$48 million is equivalent to approximately GHS 602 million.
- The documents suggest that this US$48 million will be spent over a period of less than three weeks (18 days), resulting in a daily operational expense of approximately GHS 33.4 million.
- Despite Parliament’s approval of only GHS 100 million for the games, President Akufo-Addo allegedly instructed the LOC to request US$48 million, defying parliamentary approval.
- President Akufo-Addo is accused of personally chairing fundraising meetings to raise the US$48 million, targeting both state-owned enterprises (SOEs) and private companies that have government contracts.
- The selection of companies for fundraising raises ethical questions about fairness in competitive bidding processes and potential conflicts of interest.
These allegations suggest serious concerns about transparency, accountability, and fiscal responsibility in the planning and budgeting process for the African Games. They also raise questions about the government’s priorities and its handling of public funds.