The parliamentary candidate for Ketu North for the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Edem Agbana, has alleged that Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko influenced the selection of Chris Hughton as the coach for the Black Stars because of the relationship they share.
His comments came after the Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, leaked the $8.5 million budget of the Ghana Football Association (GFA) for the 2023 AFCON in Cote D’Ivoire despite their early exit from the competition.
Edem Agbana, speaking on TV3 on January 30, 2024, noted that he is ready to defend his claim anywhere.
“As we speak, Chris Hughton was selected because of his relationship with Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko. Those of us in football know this and I am saying that if Gabby or anybody doubts this, they can take me anywhere. Some of them were selected because of their relationships with people in government. I am an angry Ghanaian football fan and also a Ghanaian whose tax is being used to pay them,” he alleged.
Edem Agbana also alleged that the government sponsored thousands of its NPP supporters and delegates to travel to Cote D’Ivoire to watch the AFCON matches and paid them $400 each.
He also mentioned that he had the opportunity to send some people to watch the games, but he refused because he was angry and disgusted by the NPP’s actions.
“Before AFCON, I had the opportunity to send about 5 people to also go and watch the game. But I refused because they sent thousands of NPP supporters and delegates and they paid them $400. After the first match, Ghana lost, and the supporters organised a press conference and said that they were going to boycott the second match with Egypt. Before the second match, $400 was paid to NPP supporters and there were 1000s of them all from the NPP. They were selected through the district chief executives to be taken to AFCON.
“They paid all of them at the time the government was unable to pay the capitation grant and finance the school feeding programme,” he added.