Mustapha Ussif
Youth and Sports Minister, Mustapha Ussif says his outfit has placed a formal request to the Office of the President regarding the usage of cash Ghana earned from the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Ghana returned from the soccer festival with a mouthwatering $9 million despite exiting prematurely (Group stage).
To the minister, there is the need for an application of ‘precedent’ in determining the allocation of the funds, with a focus on funding preparations for the forthcoming Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Cote d’Ivoire next January.
He also mentioned last week that part of the cash is expected to be used for the rehabilitation of sports infrastructure at the Ghanaman Center for Excellence in Prampram.
But the minister has explained that the ministry cannot disburse the cash as planned until the President gives executive approval.
In a recent press conference in Accra, the minister said, “We are just about going to AFCON. We also want to develop some sports infrastructure. The FA has written that they want to improve the infrastructure at Prampram. It’s something we need to get executive approval for.”
And for transparency purposes, the ministry is seeking the necessary approvals from higher authorities before communicating their decisions to the public for the usage of the funds.
FIFA’s reason for the cash allocation was to invest in sports development and infrastructure, enabling the national teams to enhance their performance on the international stage.
By Kofi Owusu Aduonum