Ghana’s lowest AFCON budget was approved by NDC in 2016 – Sammy Gyamfi

Sammy Gyamfi, the National Communications Officer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), has criticized President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo-Bawumia-led government for what he claims is an extravagant budgetary allocation for Ghana's participation in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).

Gyamfi argues that the allocated sum of $8.5 million for the 2023 AFCON is the second-highest in the history of Ghana's AFCON participation.

In a Facebook post dated January 31, 2024, he emphasized that the lowest budgetary allocation in recent history occurred under an NDC government in 2017, with a budget of $3.4 million, approved during the transition from the John Mahama administration to the Akufo-Addo government.

“It is evident from the data above, that Ghana’s lowest AFCON budgetary allocation in recent history, was an amount of $3.4 million for the 2017 AFCON.

"It is important to make the point, that even though this tournament was held in the year 2017, the budget was approved by the erstwhile NDC/Mahama government in 2016,” he said in his post.

Comparing Ghana's allocation to that of other participating nations, citing allocations from countries like Namibia, Zambia, and Nigeria; he suggested that Ghana's budget was disproportionately high.

According to him, Namibia budgeted around $1.1 million, Zambia allocated $2 million, and even Nigeria, a football powerhouse, budgeted $1.3 million for the 2023 AFCON.

He argued that the high budget amid the current economic crisis, characterized by debt default, high unemployment, excessive taxation, and a challenging cost of living; reflects a lack of frugality on the part of the Akufo-Addo government.

He further called for a bi-partisan probe into the 2023 AFCON budget and related expenditures, urging the nation to investigate the performance of the Black Stars during the tournament.

"It is absolutely imperative, for the nation to launch full-scale investigations into the shambolic performance of the Black Stars to forestall the embarrassment the nation suffered at Cote D’Ivoire, which has become symptomatic of the corrupt and wasteful Akufo-Addo/Bawumia administration," he added.

AM/SARA

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