Kofi Adams
President John Dramani Mahama has assured Ghanaians that there will be no secrecy in the monies allocated to the Ghana Football Association (GFA) for the running of the various national football teams.
According to him, the budgets presented by the GFA and other sports associations must be known by the public, indicating that “after all, it is the taxpayer’s funds that are used to fund these activities.”
“There will be no secrecy in how much the government spends on the national teams. The budgets presented by the FA and other sports associations must be known by the public,” the President indicated in his first State of the Nation Address to Parliament yesterday.
The President also stated that he has instructed his Office and the Minister for Sports and Recreation to hold the GFA accountable to the people of Ghana as the nation prepares for two World Cup qualifiers next month.
Mr. Mahama also touched on some sweeping changes and reforms aimed at restoring confidence in the administration of football in the country.
“The reduction in government expenditure and waste reduction apply to all sectors of the economy, including the Ministry of Sports and Recreation.”
The President also disclosed that government will launch a National Recreation Day – a monthly initiative centred on community engagement—alongside an annual National Recreation Festival.
“These initiatives will encourage keep-fit activities and promote active lifestyles, promote traditional games, and strengthen community bonds,” he said.
President Mahama added that government will be implementing a significant overhaul of grassroots sports with the establishment of the School Sports Authority.
This body, he said, will oversee structured inter-school competitions and talent identification initiatives essential for nurturing future sporting champions, adding that “over 60% of Ghana’s elite athletes have emerged from these school sports programmes.”
BY Gibril Abdul Razak