Sports Minister, Mustapha Ussif has asked the president of the Ghana Amputee Football team, the Black Challenge, to account for all the donations the team has received since they won the 2024 African Amputee Football Cup of Nations (AAFCON) tournament.
According to him, the government has discovered that the Black Challenge has received a lot of donations but it is for the state not the team, hence the accountability.
“I have to put it to you, not only you, any national team. If it is your personal private club that is fine, that is your club but as a national team oce you come you should know that you are representing the state. And so that is what I just want to tell you, so I have asked the president of the Ghana National para team, we have seen that you have seen a lot of donations which is good for us, you should account for it because it is for the state it is not for you.” The Minister said.
Mr. Mustapha Ussif also expressed his dissatisfaction that the team did not first visit the Ministry of Youth and Sports before meeting the former president and the flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) John Dramani Mahama.
“This is a National Team, the team sitting here is not a club, it is not your private property when you are going to Egypt, if I haven’t signed for you to represent our country you can not be there. So that is to the management who are here, and it is not only to you but to the entire national team. Once it is the national team and you are going to represent our flag anytime you come, that is why when you were going I delegated my F&A to come with you to Egypt.” He lamented.
“I made sure that communication went to the Ambassador who is representing the president to make sure that whatever is supposed to be done, courtesies and protocols are accorded to you because you are representing our country. So when you come after the successes and there’s anything, the first point of call is this office. We’re not going to tolerate you using the state for your personal benefits,” Mustapha fumed.
“Once you come, all of us will then make sure that whatever benefit is supposed to be acute to you just like we did in the previous time when you came. The two thousand dollars ($2000) you all received never came to my pocket, it was for you because you represented us and you performed. And a similar opportunity will be given to you but if you realize that this time when you landed unlike last year, this time when you landed and you came here directly, this year you started going from one place to another without any records to the government who sponsored you, and that cannot be tolerated.”
His comment comes after Ghana Amputee Football team, the Black Challenge on Wednesday, June 12, 2024, received $10,000 as an appreciation token from former President John Mahama.
Source: Elvisanokyenews.com
