Minority wants $240m budget for African Games investigated

The Minority in Parliament is urging for a bipartisan Parliamentary investigation into the government's expenditure of $240 million on the recently concluded 13th African Games.

Criticism from the Minority suggests that despite the significant financial investment, the organization and management of the event fell short compared to previous hosts in Africa.

Kobena Mensah Woyome, the Ranking Member on the Youth and Sports Committee of Parliament, expressed dismay over what he termed a "monumental disaster" and "total embarrassment" to the nation. He pointed out that the event failed to yield economic benefits, promote tourism, or facilitate trade effectively, despite the substantial financial commitment.

Woyome underscored the alarming nature of the expenditure, particularly in light of Ghana's current economic challenges. Drawing comparisons to previous hosts like Morocco and Congo, who spent significantly less on their respective editions of the games yet boasted modern sports facilities, he highlighted the discrepancy in outcomes.

"The just-concluded games were a monumental disaster and a total embarrassment to our dear country," said Woyome. "The Akufo-Addo-Bawumia government's expenditure of $240 million on the games failed to translate into effective organization and management."

Woyome emphasized the need for clarity on the economic benefits of such expenditures, stating, "The organization of the games lacked clear-cut policies for tourism promotion and trade facilitation, which could have justified the substantial investment."

Given the economic challenges facing Ghana, Woyome stressed the importance of scrutinizing the expenditure on the games, echoing concerns raised among Ghanaians. He pointed out that previous hosts had achieved better outcomes with significantly lower expenditures, suggesting a need for accountability and transparency in future expenditures on such events.