Mustapha Ussif, Others Flagged in Auditor-General’s African Games Audit Report
The Member of Parliament for the Yagaba-Kubori Constituency in the North East Region and former Minister of Youth and Sports, Mustapha Ussif, has become a central figure following the submission of the audit report to the Parliament of Ghana by the Auditor-General.
President John Dramani Mahama, in October 2025, instructed the auditor-general to undertake a thorough forensic audit of the organisation and management of the 13th All-African Games, following the submission of a report by the National Intelligence Bureau (NIB).
A report, referenced as AG.SAR/2026/03 and signed by Auditor-General Johnson Akuamoah-Asiedu, was conducted in accordance with section 16 of the Audit Service Act, 2000 (Act 584), following a formal request from the office of the President dated 22nd October 2025.
Three former top officials are being blamed for the GHC580,042,347.40 worth of financial problems that happened during Ghana’s hosting of the 13th African Games in 2023.
These problems included widespread overpricing, hiring unqualified contractors, supply of non-existent equipment, and failure to comply with procurement procedures.
In almost every finding of the report, recovery actions and sanctions are suggested for Mustapha Ussif, who used to be Minister of Youth and Sports, William Kartey, who used to be Chief Director of the Ministry, and Kwaku Ofosu-Asare, who used to be Chairman of the Local Organising Committee.
As part of the financial findings, it was revealed that the Ministry of Sports during Mustapha Ussif’s administration paid Messrs Delovely Company Ltd GHC38.9 million for a sports equipment contract worth USD3.24 million, but they never sent any equipment worth USD206,000 for table tennis, badminton, and handball.
The audit report also found that accommodation for Games officials was contracted through JDK Travel and Tours at USD 150 per room per night for 500 rooms over 21 days, totalling USD 1.58 million, which official market verification showed that the official hotel rates for the listed properties ranged between USD 50 and USD 70 per room, putting the justifiable total at approximately USD 735,000.
