Ghana budgets $15m for Black Stars’ AFCON

The Ministry of Youth and Sports has budgeted a humongous record amount of $15 million to execute Ghana’s 2019 Africa Cup of Nations campaign.

This is the highest amount ever spent by a country playing in the tournament, a reliable source has revealed.

The Sports Minister, who had vowed to slash Ghana’s financial expenditure on the Black Stars in the face of grinding poverty facing the ordinary taxpayer, is alleged to have sneakily put forward 8 Billion Old Ghana Cedis to be spent on the lavish trip to Egypt.

With the Black Stars already in the UAE on their plush training tour at the expensive holiday resort of Jebel Ali, it is a clear indication that the mammoth budget has been approved as expenditure on the tournament has already started.

Knowing that this budget will generate a huge public outcry in the country, the Sports Ministry has refused to tell parliament about the budget for the tournament which has generated an angry reaction from the Minority in Parliament who are now demanding urgent answers in the House from the Minister Isaac Asiamah today.

According to the source, Hon Isaac Asiamah’s ministry has budgeted to spend $9 million on the Black Stars including their mammoth appearances fee of $80,000 per person, $10, 0000 for each player and official with rest of the money going into air travel, hotels and medical expenditure.

The government is also planning to spend $3.7 million in sending 100 supporters to Egypt to cater for their air fares, hotel accommodation and per diems.

A further $2.5m has been budgeted for 55 media personnel to be sponsored to the tournament – a concept craftily designed to buy their silence to mask the plundering of meagre state resources to fund the campaign that can only generate the country $4.5 million if the Black Stars win the trophy. This means a debt of $10 million will be wracked even if Ghana wins the title.

The insider further revealed that parts of the budgets for the supporters and media will be massaged to be spent on ‘ways and means’ and spiritualism in a highly spiritual campaign.

Ghana have already been given $260,000 for AFCON 2019 preparation by the Confederation of African Football (CAF), as the continental governing body gave the same amount to all 24 participating teams.

THE PREVIOUS FIGURES

Ghana’s budgets for the three previous world cup editions are; $5.5m in 2012, $5.8m in 2015 and $3.4m.