Ex-deputy sports minister Joseph Yamin claims increased sports budget is inadequate

Former Ghana deputy sports minister Joseph Yamin claims an over 200% budget increment for sports is woefully inadequate, a year after his government slashed funding dramatically.

The claim has sparked controversy in the West African nation especially after the previous government reduced sports funding during its tenure.

New Finance minister Ken Ofori-Atta revealed on Thursday in Parliament that the new government has increased the figure from GHC22 million in 2016 to GHC46.91 million this year.

Despite the obvious huge capital injection into sports this year, the country's former sports minister, who supervised the embarrassing flying of cash to Black Stars players during the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil, has shockingly claimed the amount is inadequate.

“At least John Mahama government was so good to the extend that, the Community Day Senior High Schools they built ten of them was going to be a sports school.” He told Accra-based Atinka FM

“When we finish it was to be all about sports, 1o one to each region.

“But the others not even a football pitch would you find there, so if you are going to develop it as you say it.

“And if it’s not a mire propaganda, then the amount you are a quoting for the budget this year is totally inadequate.

He added: “Because it can’t develop even one-quarter of our schools sports facilities, not to talk of it all,"

“Or they should tell us it’s a long term project and will start from this year.

“If not then sports development today as it stand is not through the schools again.

“We have relegated it to the background,or may be we have to look it from a different perspective."

Yamin, a former deputy Ashanti Regional minister in the erstwhile administration, became infamous after his government mobilised money and chartered a flight to Brazil during the country's wrecked World Cup campaign.