GFA debunks Minister’s claims

The Ghana Football Association (GFA) has been caught in a strange crossfire with the Ministry of Youth and Sports (MOYS) over the outstanding Black Stars’ winning bonus after the Deputy Sports Minister, Vincent Oppong Asamoah, had blamed the FA for the delay in payment.

The deputy minister, in last Monday’s edition of the Graphic Sports blamed the GFA for presenting the budget for the AFCON qualifier after the recent Mauritius match. However, that comment attracted a swift reaction from GFA President Kwesi Nyantakyi, who denied the claims with some documentary evidence which indicated that the budget for the match was actually sent to the ministry a month ahead of the match.

Buttressing Mr Nyantakyi’s position was a letter covering the budget for the Stars’ preparation and participation in the Gabon 2017 AFCON qualifiers dated May 6, 2015 and signed by the Acting GFA General Secretary, Emmanuel Gyimah, to the Minister of Youth and Sports, Dr Mustapha Ahmed, and copied to the chief director and chief accountant of the Ministry.

Attached to the letter sighted by the Graphic Sports was a correspondence from the ministry acknowledging receipt of the budget.
In his reaction, the GFA boss stated that the FA, indeed, submitted the budget to the MOYS on May 14, about one month to the Mauritius game in Accra on Sunday, June 14.

“I hear the deputy minister has blamed the GFA for the delay in paying bonuses of Black Stars players.

“He is alleged to have said that the GFA submitted the budget after the match. That can’t be true,” Mr Nyantakyi stressed.

“The GFA submitted a budget to the MOYS on May 14 — about three weeks or so before the game,” he explained further.