Asiamah 'lied' about AFCON budget – Vanderpuije

The immediate past Minister of Youth and Sports Nii Lante Vanderpuije has debunked claims by his successor, Isaac Asiamah, that he bequeathed a staggering US$3.7 million budget for the Black Stars participation in the just ended AFCON tournament.

Asiamah told the Appointments Committee of Parliament Tuesday during his vetting that the former Minister prepared a US$3.7million budget for the AFCON.

According to him, Nii Lante Vanderpuije did not furnish him [Asiamah] with the budget for the tournament, during the transition process and that he received it from the Ministry’s Chief Director.

This did not go down well with Nii Lante Vanderpuije who told journalists that the US$3.7 million budget was prepared by Asiamah.

According to him, the minister-designate blatantly lied, vowing to take the matter up with the leadership of parliament.

He said when they met during the transition process he showed the minister designate two budgets – the proposal from the Ghana Football Association and what they have reviewed and presented it to him.

“During his time as at the 10th January, he has been at the Ministry for three days. If during that time the Chief Director had sent another budget to the Chief of Staff he cannot claim ignorance about that budget. The chief Director may have discussed that budget with him and Chief Director may send that budget to him,” said Vanderpuije angrily.

“It is his budget. So he should tell us that this was the budget he sent to the Chief of Staff stipulating 10,000, 12,000, and 15,000 from the preliminaries to quarter and to semifinals. He shouldn’t claim that it was our budget we left for him,” he added.

He said if the Minister-designate presumed that he did not have the evidence to that effect he is mistaking “so he shouldn’t lie.”