Black Stars is a cash-cow for milking state coffers - Kwame Sefa Kayi

Award-winning Ghanaian media personality, Kwame Sefa Kayi has expressed his utter disgust following the presentation of Ghana’s budget for the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations.

Sports Minister, Isaac Asiamah was in Parliament on Wednesday to provide an itemized breakdown of the figures spent during the continental showpiece in Egypt.

Mr Asiamah revealed that a total of $4.5 million was expended during the team’s stay out of the 6.3 million which was allocated.

Of this amount, an excess of $1M was spent on winning bonuses alone.

It will be recalled that Ghana played four games, winning only one- before suffering elimination at the hands of Tunisia.

Sefa Kayi, during his morning show on Peace FM, is popularly known as “Kokrokoo” called out the Sports Ministry and current administration of the national team for using the Black Stars as an excuse to embezzle state funds.

“This thing is systemic. Black Stars is a cash cow which people are capitalising on to embezzle Ghana’s money. So today I Kwame Sefa Kayi I’m saying that Kwesi Nyantakyi has been vindicated.

The prize money for winning the tournament is 4.5million dollars. Of course, the joy that would have come to this country had we won would have been invaluable. It would have been priceless but that’s one aspect of it.

But how can you go into a tournament knowing that the final figure you can earn is 4.5million dollars but you sit and prepare a budget of over 6million dollars which is more than the ultimate prize money?

So I’ll ask the same question I’ve asked already. If it was your own money would you spend it that way?

Even if we assume it’s a gamble where you are investing your own money with the knowledge that the total amount of money you can possibly win is 4.5million dollars, would you put in money which is more than the final figure you stand a chance of winning?

But we have found a way of justifying a budget of over 6million dollars.

When we went, we were eliminated at the second round and by then we had already spent 4.5million dollars which is the money we would have earned as a country from the total tournament if we had won”