Reshuffle: Did Akufo-Addo forget the Sports Minister or it was an error?

President Akufo-Addo announced on Wednesday, February 14, 2024, the long-awaited ministerial reshuffle.

Before this, some political pundits called on the president to dismiss Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta and Sports Minister, Mohammed Awal. Dr. Benjamin Otchere-Ankrah, a lecturer at the Central University, happens to be one of such pundits.

During Thursday’s edition of Peace FM’s morning show ‘Kokrokoo’, while discussing the aftermath of the reshuffle, Dr Otchere-Ankrah thanked the President for removing Ken Ofori-Atta but wondered why the Sports Minister was maintained.

“Did the President forget the Sports Minister, or was it an error, or did the President take out his name but someone put it back? The Sports Minister should’ve been reshuffled,” he stated.

The Minister of Youth and Sports, Mustapha Ussif has recently revealed that $3 million was spent for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).

Speaking on the floor of parliament in Accra on Wednesday, Mr Ussif said the amount was out of a total of $5,007,840.36 released by the Ministry of Finance.

According to him, a surplus of $2,177, 720.55 was left after the Black Stars exited the tournament in the Group Stage.

“Mr Speaker our estimated budget for the 2023 AFCON tournament was $8,506,450 to cater for the pre-tournament stages. That is our pre-camping stage. The tournament stage that is the group stages and also the round 16 stage, quarter-finals, semi-finals, and finals Ghana’s estimated budget would have been $8,506,450”

“Out of this amount, an amount of $5,007,840.36 was released by the Ministry of Finance of which $3,007,067.81 was spent on the team pre-camping in Kumasi…This resulted in a surplus of $2,177, 720.55 after our early exit from the tournament,” he stated.