Afriyie-Ankrah drilled over airlifting of 'business people' as soccer fans to Brazil

Former Youth and Sports Minister, Elvis Afriyie-Ankrah has been queried over the Ministry's decision to fly soccer fans Ghana to Brazil to for their personal businesses without paying anything back to the state.

The Justice Senyo Dzamefe wondered why the state would sponsor business men and women under the guise of going to cheer the Black Stars during the World Cup tournament only for them to go there to do their personal businesses.

But Mr. Afriyie Ankrah explained, it was part of the plans to get the business men and women to Brazil to showcase Ghana's unique business credentials at a special exhibition event in Brazil but that could not materialize, hence the decision to allow the supporters to carry materials to exhibit in Brazil.

“Because of the challenges we had we could not do it the way we wanted…So some of the supporters who went, carried wares,” he explained.

The immediate-past Sports Minister said the country spent a little over Gh 4 million during Ghana's participation which saw the Black Stars exit the tournament at the group stage.

He said nearly Gh  million of the amount was spent on accommodation and the provision of two “heavy meals” every day.

Gh 16,700 was also spent on media relations for various engagements and programmes with former Black Star players, former Ministers of Sports and former officials of the Ghana Football Association, Mr. Afriyie-Ankrah recounted.

Gh  was spent on entertainment; renting grounds and equipment for musical concerts held by Team Ghana in Brazil while Gh  was expended on a presidential ball for the players before they enplaned for the tournament.

Ghana, after two successive brilliant World Cup appearances in Germany and Brazil, were expected to move a notch higher but failed woefully in their third straight appearance.

And for the first time in the soccer festival, Ghana failed to record a win, losing two games to USA and Portugal, and drawing against eventual winners Germany.

Team Ghana was smeared with various degrees of scandal necessitating the formation of the Commission of Inquiry. Story by Ghana | Myjoyonline.com | Jerry Tsatro Mordy | [email protected]