US$360,000: Ministry pays outstanding bonuses to Black Queens
After over four years of repeated protests and threats to boycott national team assignments, the Ministry of Youth and Sports (MOYS) has paid all outstanding bonuses to members of the Black Queens.
The bonuses were owed to the playing body, management, technical team and management committee members who represented the Black Queens in two ties between 2015 and 2016.
The first tie was a second-round CAF Women's Olympic Qualifying tournament doubleheader against Egypt in May 2015 which the Queens won 4-1 on aggregate before they were eliminated on away goals by Cameroon in the third round.
The second tie was a qualifier for the 2016 Africa Women Cup of Nations second round qualification match against Tunisia which the Queens won 6-1 on aggregate to book their place at the tourney hosted by Cameroon.
Presenting the cheques to members of the team at a ceremony on Friday in Accra, the Communications Consultant of the MOYS, Mr Ahmed Osman Halid disclosed that, each player was due the cedi equivalent of $,3000 per match for participating in the qualifiers, although he did not disclose the total sum presented to the team.
Total sum
However, the Daily Graphic gathered that the total sum presented to the team was in excess of US$360,000.
The players bagged the equivalent of US$108,000 (US$6,000 each) for the Egypt tie while the head coach bagged US$12,000 (US$6,000 each), the four other technical team members got US$24,000 (US$6,000 each), three other technical team members got US$12,600 (US$4,200 each) and four management Committee members received a total of US$24,000 each (US$6,000).
The Black Queens team that played in the Tunisia tie a year later also received the same amounts.
Fulfilment of promise
Mr Halid said the presentation was in fulfilment of a pledge the Minister of Youth and Sports, Isaac Kwame Asiamah made to members of the team during their last protest to demand their monies in September 2020.
He also assured that other national sportsmen who were owed by the state would be paid their monies.
"The trust that the Ministry is establishing with the Black Queens means that every national team sportsman or executive that is due money from the state will also receive theirs within the shortest possible time," he said.
"Everybody must rest assured that Honourable Isaac Asiamah will fulfil every promise he has made to any sportsman that has represented our nation".
He later expressed the condolences of the Ministry to the family of the former President Jerry John Rawlings who died on Thursday morning.
Beneficiaries
Some of the players who will be laughing all the way to the bank including striker Jane Ayieyam, defender Linda Eshun as well as goalie Patricia Mantey and Fafali Dumehasi were present at the ceremony to claim their cheques.
In an address on behalf of the team, Fafali expressed gratitude to the Ministry and stressed that the players were committed to defending the nation in future matches.