By Elizabeth Larkwor Baah
Tema, Sept. 29, GNA – Some youth in Tema Community One say inefficient management structures, coupled with a lack of accountability and transparency are the cause of the issues at the Sports Ministry.
They alleged the Sport Ministry was associated with embezzlement, poor infrastructure, and limited government resource allocation, which is affecting the overall performance of Ghanaian athletes.
The youth told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in an interview that the situation was limiting talent development among the youth in the country due to insufficient funds for talent identification programmes, and inadequate equipment for training, among others.
Also, there had been no accountability on the 2024 All African Games by the Sport Ministry, which had made most Ghanaians lost trust in the Ministry and the Ghana Football Association.
The situation, the Youth said, was undermining national credibility and needed to be addressed to prevent further damage.
They expressed worry at the rate at which corruption seems to continue to intensify in the country, which has become difficult to eradicate, stressing that it was essential for the ministry to restore its lost integrity, promote fairness in its activities, and ensure growth in sports in all communities in the country.
Mr. Abdul-Qadir, a carpenter, said: “Our leaders do not know that these minor issues could result in a worse situation in Ghana. Over the years, the Ministry of Sports has indulged in similar issues, and no one has been jailed; they misuse the money, and no one has been arrested.
“It is the taxpayers’ money they are using; and I don’t know why making accounts should be difficult if the money was used judiciously for the right purposes,” he further said.
Mr. Richard Attoh, a mason and a former football player, said: “The fact that GBC came out to clarify issues in the All Africa Games’ coverage indicates that there are a lot of hidden facts. Ghana behaves like it has more money than the United States. These attitudes of our leaders are the reason most of the young generation of footballers are moving to play for other countries.”
“There are a lot of skilled players in the country, but because of corruption, most of them are not seen to contribute to the growth of the sector. Ghana spends extravagantly on sports all the time, yet we don’t see or feel the outcome.”
Mr. Faisal Faruk, a footballer, said: “Ghana young players are very broke; they are underpaid. There are a lot of talented players at the grassroot level, but because of financial reasons, most of them venture into other sectors.”
GNA