Sports head at Pure FM in Kumasi, Bright Kankam Boadu, has raised concerns about the wisdom of investing $195 million in new sporting infrastructure, given the apparent challenges in maintaining existing facilities.
Responding to revelations by the Minister of Youth and Sports, Mustapha Ussif, regarding the expenditure of over $195 million on facilities for the 13th African Games, Kankam Boadu questioned the sustainability of these new facilities post-event.
He expressed bewilderment over the country’s ability to allocate such a significant amount to constructing new facilities while struggling to cover basic operational costs like electricity for existing infrastructure.
“We don’t know what we are doing in this country. We were able to spend $195 million on facilities for the African Games but can’t pay ECG. After the construction of the facility, are we going to power them with lanterns? It’s as if we are sick.”
“Parliament’s power was disconnected over debt. Meanwhile, this same Parliament approves funds for the purchase of chairs and cars. This country, those at the top don’t care about those down there,” he said.
At a ministerial press briefing on Monday, March 4, 2024, sports minister Mustapha Ussif provided a breakdown of the expenditure.
According to Mustapha Ussif, “the total contract sum of the facility approved by parliament for the games amounted to $195,255,153 million.”
Borteyman Sports Complex, built by Contractor Construction UK, had a total cost of $145,086,057.54.
Meanwhile, the University of Ghana Stadium and Rugby Stadium had a combined cost of $34,102,135, and the Games Village, constructed by Mawums Ltd, amounted to $16,066,961.20 in expenses.