The Minister of Youth and Sports, Mustapha Ussif has lashed out at the Ghana Amputee Football team, the Black Challenge, for accepting donations from former President John Dramani Mahama and other external bodies.
This comes after the team received a $10,000 token of appreciation on Wednesday, June 12, 2024, from the former President, who is the NDC’s 2024 flagbearer.
The gift from Mahama was in recognition of the team’s back-to-back AAFCON titles.
But Mustapha Ussif believes the team should have coordinated through his office first.
“That cannot be tolerated,” he stressed.
“When you come after the successes and there’s anything, the first point of call is this office [MoYS]. We’re not going to tolerate you using the state for your personal benefits,” the Minister said.
He further added, “Unlike last year, this time when you landed and you came here directly, this year you started going from one place to another without any records to the government who sponsored you, and that cannot be tolerated.”
“I have to put it to you and not only you but any national team, if it is your personal [or] private club, that is fine. That is your club. As a national team, once you come you should know that you’re representing the state.”
The Minister has, as a result, charged the President of the National Paralympic Committee to account for every penny received in donations to the team.
“We will communicate after you have presented all the statements [and] all that you have received to my office.”
The Ghana Amputee National Football team, The Black Challenge, secured their second consecutive AAFCON title by defeating Morocco in the final.
