The Head Coach of Ghana’s national amputee football team, Stephen Richard Obeng has revealed that donations the team received from former President John Dramani Mahama and other bodies have already been spent.
According to him, the funds were allocated to cover several expenses incurred by the team, including their upkeep, hotel bills, and transportation costs.
After clinching their second African Amputee Football Cup of Nations (AAFCON) title by defeating Morocco in the final held in Egypt, the team received support from various individuals and entities, including a $10,000 donation from former President Mahama, to help ease their financial burdens.
However, during the team’s presentation of the trophy to the Minister of Youth and Sports, Mustapha Yusif, the Minister expressed dissatisfaction over the team’s decision to seek donations from individuals before consulting the Ministry. He emphasized the need for transparency and demanded a thorough accounting of all the donations received.
“We cannot tolerate that,” the Minister remarked, criticizing the team’s late engagement with the Ministry.
But speaking to Kumasi-based Akoma FM, Obeng clarified the situation, stating, “We have already shared the money we received from the donations. After we returned, we were together as a team in Accra without any support. We used the money for our upkeep, hotel bills, and transportation to our homes. After they gave us tickets, we never received any logistics. We depended on donors for our upkeep. We will do the accounts for them by stating what we used the money for because the money has already been shared for our upkeep.”
By: Ekow Annan/newsalertgh.com
