Ace broadcaster Kwame Sefa Kayi has been left startled and incensed by the 4.5 million dollars the government blew on the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations.
Sports Minister, Isaac Asiamah on Wednesday appeared before Ghana’s parliament to render account on how much was expended on the botched presidential project.
The Minister disclosed that US$6,365,033.84 was budgeted for the tournament with a colossal amount of US$4, 564, 352.00 being spent on the training tour up until the team exited the AFCON at the round of 16 stage.
The Minister also mentioned players and officials of the Black Stars bagged a whopping $1,489,432 million for winning just one game at the AFCON. Reacting to the issue on his Kokroko show, Sefa Kayi questioned the ‘sense’ in budgeting US$6,3 million for a tournament that has 4.5 million allocated for the eventual winner.
He asserted that it is ridiculous, preposterous and illogical for anyone to spend such a colossal amount on a project that rakes in little revenue. The experienced broadcaster wondered if the Minister would have approved of such expenditure if the Black Stars was his personal property.
Sefa Kayi’s also said that current happenings vindicate former GFA president Kwesi Nyantakyi whose administrative career was cut short by Anas’ Number 12 documentary.
“For me as an observer, I’ve realized that the problem is systemic. Black Stars is a cash cow and people are using it to embezzle public funds. So today me, Kwame Sefa Kayi I sit here and say Nyantakyi should come for his stone”.
“If you win the Nations Cup, you get USD 4.5 million but if we had won the joy and excitement would have been priceless. But how do you go into a tournament knowing that the final figure you can earn is $4.5 million and you budget over $6 million dollars. I will ask the same question I always ask, if it was your own money, would you spend it that way?
Directing his anger at those defending the budget the 2017 GJA Journalist of the Year said “we have found a way to justify a budget of over 6 million dollars. We exited at the second round and still manage to spend the exact amount we would have gotten as prize money had we won the cup. It doesn’t make sense. It just doesn’t make sense. If we had won, all these issues wouldn’t have come up but you don’t do this and think its okay. I have heard some of saying that we spent the same amount under Nyantakyi, so it’s okay. Are you out of your minds” he fumed.
