Para-athletes scandal sparks urgent calls for reform

Ghana’s sports was this week rocked again by news that an 11-member team of para-athletes from Ghana travelled to Norway, under the guise of participating in the Fjordkraft Bergen City Marathon, only to abscond upon arrival in the Norwegian capital.

The scandal came to light through a letter from the National Security Minister, Albert Kan-Dapaah, on July 3. Addressed to his counterparts in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration and the Ministry of Youth and Sports, he reported that 11 supposed para-athletes had absconded to other Schengen states after arriving in Oslo on April 25.

The Ministry of Youth and Sports and the National Paralympic Committee-Ghana quickly distanced themselves from the scandal, with the Sports Minister, Mustapha Ussif, asserting that the ministry had no role in facilitating the trip for the group, which he called a "fake team." Instead, he blamed the Norwegian Embassy in Accra for failing to verify the team's authenticity.

“The Norwegian authority which issued the visas to the athletes didn’t see it prudent to even verify from the ministry to see whether they were genuine athletes or not. So, to your question whether I take responsibility, I’m sorry I can’t,” the minister said at a news conference.

Further complicating matters, the National Paralympic Committee-Ghana President, Samson Deen, revealed that he knew two officials within the Paralympic Movement in Ghana who were complicit in forging his signature and documents to secure visas for the team.

“We engaged, we checked and we realised that the letter was written. They forged my signature, forged my letter and applied for visas for some people who are not athletes,” Mr Deen disclosed.

It reveals a well-calculated fraud, especially as it emerged that the group did not even register for the competition in the first place. This is where the intrigue deepens.

Following this revelation, the National Paralympic Committee-Ghana issued a statement suspending the alleged masterminds behind the scandal, Messrs Theodore Mawuli Viwotor and Ernest Yaw Ayisi of the Ernestay Foundation, from all para-sports activities in Ghana and abroad.

Despite denials of complicity by the Ministry of Youth and Sports and the National Paralympic Committee-Ghana, there is an urgent need for thorough investigations to uncover the truth. This latest scandal is not an isolated incident but part of a disturbing pattern of systemic fraud and mismanagement within the Ghanaian sports sector.

Litany of scandals

Previous scandals, such as the 2009 incident where a 25-man team of able-bodied individuals masqueraded as deaf footballers to attend a tournament in Australia, and more recent controversies like the 2018 Commonwealth Games visa scandal, highlight a persistent issue of deceit and negligence.

In more recent years, scandals like the sting operation by Anas Aremeyaw Anas-led Tiger Eye PI into corruption in football administration, the 2018 Commonwealth Games visa scandal, and an outrageous act of impersonation involving unregistered players of Real Tamale United in their Ghana Premier League clash with Dreams FC last month, highlight the lack of integrity in Ghana’s sports and the urgent need for the authorities to address the issues head-on.

The lack of political will and decisive action by state agencies and other duty bearers to address these issues have fostered a culture of impunity, allowing fraudulent individuals to exploit the system with little fear of repercussions.

The government's response to such scandals has often been lacklustre, with investigations yielding little to no substantial legal action against the culprits.

The unresolved 2018 Commonwealth Games visa scandal is a prime example of this failure. Despite investigations by the police and other security agencies, no significant legal action was taken, allowing the offenders to walk away unscathed. This failure to hold offenders accountable has emboldened fraudsters, leading to repeated scandals that compromise the integrity of Ghanaian sports.

In the light of the gravity of the latest scandal, the Sports Writers Association of Ghana (SWAG) issued a statement urging the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, to institute a bipartisan parliamentary probe into the incident involving fake para-athletes in Norway.

SWAG emphasised the need for a thorough investigation to get to the bottom of the issue and ensure that the perpetrators face the full rigours of the law.

This would not only serve as a deterrent to potential fraudsters but also restore faith in Ghana's sports institutions.

Call to action

The latest scandal is a clarion call for all stakeholders involved in Ghanaian sports to demonstrate a real commitment to transparency, integrity and accountability.

It is imperative that the Ministry of Youth and Sports, alongside other relevant bodies, initiate comprehensive reforms of sports management and oversight mechanisms to prevent such fraudulent activities in the future.

Ghanaian sports, which have been a source of national pride and unity, are at a crossroads. The recent scandals highlight the urgent need for decisive action to restore integrity and faith in the nation's sporting entities.

The future of Ghanaian sports depends on the commitment of duty bearers and stakeholders to uphold the principles of honesty and fairness, ensuring that the country's athletes can compete on the global stage without the shadow of fraud and mismanagement.