Kwame Sefa Kayi
Peace FM morning show host, Kwame Sefa Kayi, has expressed gross shock over the presentation of Ghana’s budget for the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Egypt.
On Wednesday, Youth & Sports Minister Isaac Asiamah faced Parliament to provide an itemised breakdown of cash spent on the Black Stars in Egypt.
It emerged that a total of $4.5 million ? the same amount Algeria (the overall winner) received ? was spent.
On his ‘Kokrokoo’ morning show yesterday, Mr. Sefa Kayi descended heavily on the Sports Ministry and current administration of the national team for using the Black Stars as an excuse to embezzle state funds.
He said, “This thing is systemic. Black Stars is a cash cow which people are capitalising on to embezzle Ghana’s money. So, today I, Kwame Sefa Kayi, I’m saying that Kwesi Nyantakyi has been vindicated.
“The prize money for winning the tournament is $4.5million. Of course, the joy that would have come to this country had we won would have been invaluable. It would have been priceless but that’s one aspect of it.
“But how can you go into a tournament knowing that the final figure you can earn is $4.5million but you sit and prepare a budget of over $6 million, which is more than the ultimate prize money?
So I’ll ask the same question I’ve asked already. If it was your own money would you spend it that way?” he quizzed.
He added, “Even if we assume it’s a gamble where you are investing your own money with the knowledge that the total amount of money you can possibly win is $4.5million, would you put in money which is more than the final figure you stand a chance of winning?
“But we have found a way of justifying a budget of over $6million.
When we went, we were eliminated at the second round and by then we had already spent $4.5million which is the money we would have earned as a country from the total tournament if we had won,” Mr. Sefa Kayi added.