Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, the Member of Parliament for North Tongu, has accused the Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo-led government of budgeting an outrageous $48 million (GHC602million) as an operational cost in hosting the forthcoming 13th African Games.

According to the lawmaker, documents he has intercepted reveal that the government intends to spend that much in the wake of dire economic difficulties in the country.

He further went ahead to accuse the government of spending beyond what Parliament had agreed upon.

Among others, the MP took to his X handle (formerly Twitter) has also blamed the government for organizing what he terms a sham fundraiser which was targeted at state-owned enterprises and big companies who have contracts with the government or have a friendly relationship.

The 13th African Games is expected to be held in Ghana between 8 and 23 March 2024. This is the second time in history that the games will be decentralized, as three cities will host the event.

FULL STATEMENT BELOW:

PRESIDENT AKUFO-ADDO’S ELEPHANTINE, WRONGFUL & UNCONSCIONABLE US$48MILLION (GHS602MILLION) “OPERATIONAL EXPENSES” FOR THE 13TH AFRICAN GAMES

1. Even before the dust settles on the scandalous US$8.5million AFCON budget brouhaha; unimpeachable, unassailable and incontrovertible intercepted documents in my possession reveal for the first time that President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and his appointees at the Ministry of Youth and Sports and the Local Organising Committee (LOC) have shockingly agreed to spend an elephantine, wrongful and unconscionable US$48million on so-called “operational expenses” for the 13th African Games to be hosted in Ghana between the period — March 5 to March 23, 2024. [Refer to intercepted documents attached]

2. It must be noted that this staggering US$48million is an entirely different amount from the mega US$195million (GHS2.4billion) already spent on infrastructure for the games.

3. At the prevailing exchange rate, US$48million is equivalent to a colossal GHS602million.

4. A careful reading of the intercepted February 13, 2024 letter signed by the LOC Executive Chairman, Dr. Kwaku Ofosu-Asare confirms that this ginormous US$48million (GHS602million) will be spent in less than a three week period (18 days). This translates into a 6-day weekly expenditure on “operational expenses” of a mind boggling GHS200.6million, and an even more incredible daily “operational expenses” of GHS33.4million.

5. It is most instructive to note that apart from the blatant profligacy and reckless wastefulness by the leader of a bankrupt, debt-distress IMF bailout country; President Akufo-Addo’s conduct is absolutely wrong because Parliament approved GHS100million under Goods and Services and then GHS50million for Capital Expenditure for the 2024 expenditure by the Ministry of Youth and Sports on the 13th African Games. [see page 230 of 2024 Budget as attached]. It is therefore totally lawless and utterly repugnant for President Akufo-Addo to unilaterally vary by more than six times what Parliament has approved for non-CapEX — that is from GHS100million to GHS602million.

6. The intercepted documents confirm that despite Parliament’s approval of only GHS100million, President Akufo-Addo instructed the LOC to send out official request letters as recent as February 13, 2024 in which they defy Parliament and communicate their outlandish, unlawful and unjustifiable US$48million (GHS602million).

7. It is regrettable to note that instead of President Akufo-Addo and his appointees at the Sports Ministry and LOC acknowledging Ghana’s current economic crisis and slashing their ostentatious US$48million (GHS602million) “operational expenses” budget, he rather proceeded to personally chair fundraising meetings on the 6th and 7th of November, 2023 at the Jubilee House with an objective of raising the US$48million (GHS602million). [See evidence of the President’s meetings attached].

8. A number of top executives who have received the Akufo-Addo-inspired US$48million (GHS602million) shocking request letter are outraged about the quantum for a broke country and the deliberate refusal to transparently present a breakdown.

9. Careful analysis of the entities President Akufo-Addo met during his now infamous fundraising engagements show that the President is mainly interested in public funds either by targeting SOEs such as GNPC, Ghana Gas, BOST and GOIL; or by targeting private companies such as MacDan, Zoomlion, MODEC and Kosmos all noted for executing huge government contracts.

10. Additionally, the President’s conduct raises fundamental ethical questions: how did the President select these companies? What promises did President Akufo-Addo make to these CEOs? How can other companies compete fairly with these “presidential companies” in any competitive bidding process, particularly considering the current single-source procurement epidemic? After these companies present their US$5million sponsorship cash to the President’s


 

">https://twitter.com/S_OkudzetoAblak/status/1761994754886160494?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 26, 2024
 

— (@S_OkudzetoAblak) February 26, 2024
 

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