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How come Ghana owes AU Sports Council $34,000?

Erasmus Adorkor

Fri, 10 Apr 2015 Source: allsports.com.gh

Having followed the work of the Maputo Probe Committee closely, I am surprised that the National Sports Authority is insisting that Ghana owes the AU Sports Council, organisers of the All African Games, to the tune of $34,000.

The Director General of the NSA Joe Kpenge is particularly adamant that non-payment of the debt could derail Team Ghana’s preparation and participation in the Congo-Brazzaville Games.

He explains that his outfit has made contacts with the Ministry of Youth and Sports and the Ministry of Finance to defray the debt ahead of the Games.

This issue must be tackled with all seriousness because Ghana’s indebtedness to the AU was one of the key factors that led to the chaos associated with Team Ghana’s participation in the 2011 Maputo Games.

But the issue assumes a different dimension when you realise that government officials settled their obligations to the Games organisers, by paying off Ghana’s previous debts and also paying for Ghana’s participation in the Maputo Games.

Quoting from a previous piece I wrote on the findings of the Maputo Probe Committee- the committee set up to investigate the circumstances that led to Ghana’s chaotic preparation and participation in the Games- it becomes very clear that there is something interesting going on.

“…Again, it also came to light that officials of the NSA were made aware of Ghana’s indebtedness to the organisers of the Games well ahead of time. In fact Ghana’s Chef de Mission was invited on three occasions to a meeting with the organisers before the competition commenced, all to no avail.

“He did not attend those meetings and thereby left the Ghanaian contingent exposed to the problems they encountered in Maputo.

“Apparently, Team Ghana failed in its obligation to pay its participation fees during the 2007 Games in Algiers, Algeria, therefore the organisers were bracing up for a big fight this time around.

“Ghana’s participation fee was only paid upon the arrival of the Head of the NSA, Worlanyor Agra in Maputo, but it was not without some level of controversy.

“Per the official calculation, Team Ghana was asked to pay $150,000.00 as a collective unit but the leader of Ghana’s delegation allegedly paid $32,000.00 more, having collected the said amount from the accountant of the Ministry of Youth and Sports who was attached to the male and female football teams. So the additional $32,000 raises questions about how much Ghana actually owed and how much we actually paid.

In the words of the Maputo Probe Committee, the leader of Ghana’s delegation to the Games, Erasmus Adukor, should be held responsible for the loss of $32,000.

“The Committee finds that Mr. Adorkor should be held liable for the sum of $32,100, which Mr. Agra persuaded Mr. Yiriwanu Sambo Aminu, an Accounts Officer at the Ministry of Youth & Sports, to give to Mr. Adorkor, ostensibly as ‘football’s contribution to Ghana’s overall participation fees of $150,000.00.

“There was only one payment of $150,000.00 and no other payment. Mr. Adorkor’s claim that there was an invoice of $182,100.00 still awaits corroboration because no such invoice has been seen by anybody.”

It is interesting to note that Mr. Adukor failed to produce any documents to back up his claim of having paid the $32,000 to the AU Sports Council when he appeared before the committee.

He was clearly in no man’s land when asked about the whereabouts of the money.

With the benefit of the facts above, one wonders how come Ghana owes the AU Sports Council a further $34,000. Under what circumstances did we incur that debt? More importantly, has the NSA recovered the $32,000 from Erasmus Adukor?

Well, my calls to the Director General of the NSA, Mr. Joe Kpenge were not returned. Hopefully, we will get some answers before September.

Source: allsports.com.gh