New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament for Old Tafo Constituency Vincent Ekow Assifuah has alleged that a driver attached to the Minister of Sports and Recreation travelled to the World Cup in the USA on state sponsorship and has yet to return to Ghana.
The MP’s claim came in response to a report suggesting he had requested and received three tickets for the Ghana-Panama game at $450 each.
While confirming he received the tickets, he explained that they formed part of an official allocation to members of the Sports Committee through the Clerk, on the directive of the Vice Chairman, Solomon Kuyon, and that all Sports Committee members present in the USA, including the Chairman, Ernest Henry Norgbey, and both NPP and NDC members, were entitled to the same number.
Turning the spotlight back on the Minister, the MP questioned whether the clarification on ticket allocation addressed the broader concerns raised over World Cup-related expenditure.
“Did your driver travel to the World Cup on State sponsorship, and has he still not returned to Ghana?” he asked.
He argued that such questions, if left unanswered, undermine claims that the ticket matter constitutes an adequate response to concerns about the use of state resources during the tournament.
“We are asking for accountability, not ticket arithmetic,” he added.
The Sports Minister, Kofi Iddie Adams, was on Accra-based TV3 to respond to the allegations as unfolded during his appearance at the committee level on the World Cup expenditure.
He is yet to respond to the allegation regarding the driver’s travel and return status as posed by the Old Tafo MP during the hearing.