Sports ministry is broke - Joe Aggrey

Mr Joe Aggrey, Deputy Minister of Youth and Sports said on Wednesday that his ministry needs assistance because it has almost exhausted its budgetary allocation for the year.

Speaking to the Parliamentary Select Committee on Youth, Sports and Culture when its members called on him to acquaint themselves with the state of affairs at the ministry, Mr Aggrey said members of the committee should forward the plight of his ministry to parliament for consideration.

He said if a nation invests in a proper sports policy, it stands to benefit in the long term because there will be fewer people to demand medical attention.

The Deputy Minister said the ministry of Youth and Sports, which is tasked with the implementation of youth empowerment programmes, would not be able to function accordingly if enough funds are not made available to it.

Mr Aggrey implored the Members of Parliament to visit the ministry and its departments and affiliates often to see the precarious state of affairs at the ministry.

The minister said he has found out that Ghana does no longer command respect in sports because there is no base for development.

He said, he was shocked by the avalanche of problems that exists at the Sports Ministry and regretted the low staff position of sporting associations, adding that there has not been any development plan to implement.

Mr Aggrey said the staff position of the National Sports Council would worsen if provisions in the annual budget are strictly adhered to because most of those working now are on contracts and if they are not renewed "then there will be nobody to do anything."

Responding to the deputy minister's appeal, Mr Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu, Chairman of the committee assured Mr Aggrey that the committee would forward his concerns to their colleagues in Parliament for deliberation.

He said they were concerned about developments at the ministry as they are aware that the Vice President who has oversight responsibility is very busy and a substantive minister is yet to be appointed.

Mr Bonsu said their visit was to afford them the opportunity to "fraternise, socialise and identify the problems the deputy minister might have been encountering.

The chairman described sports as "the vehicle that unites the nation" and pledged the unflinching support of members towards the realisation of the ministry's objectives.