Sports Minister Goes after Amputees for Gifts
The Minister for Youth and Sports, Mustapha Ussif has charged the Champions of the 2024 Amputee Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), the Black Challenge, to account for all gifts they have received from stakeholders following their return from the competition.
The Minister faults the team and its management for delaying their visit to his office upon their return to the country and let out his disappointment with them when they called on him in his office on June 14, 2024.
“Unlike last year when you came and came here directly, this year you started going from one place to another without recourse to the government who sponsored you and that cannot be tolerated. I have to put it to you and any national team. If it’s a personal club, that is fine but as national team, as you come, you should know you are representing the state.”
Hon Ussif thus directed the team to present a documentation of all gifts they have received since their return home as according to him those gifts belong to the state.
“We have seen that you have received a lot of donations which is good for us. You should account for it because it’s for the State. It’s not for you. Government will then see how to complement whatever you have received already. I will communicate after you have presented all the statements of all what you have received in my office.”
The Black Challenge during a visit to present their trophy to former President John Dramani Mahama earlier this week were gifted an amount of US$ 10,000.
The team successfully defended their title when they defeated Morocco 2-1 in the final held in Cairo in Egypt.
