No qualification bonus was paid – Mustapha Ussif

Minister for Youth and Sports Mustapha Ussif has revealed that the estimated amount budgeted for Ghana’s participation at the just ended Afcon was $8,506,450.00. The money he said was to cater for their camping, group stages, 1/16 stage, quarter finals, semi-finals, and finals.

Adding that, out of the above estimated figure, only $5,071,840.36 was released by the Ministry of Finance of which they spent $3,070,067.81 mostly on per diems, flights, medicals, equipment, logistics and hospitality of the team during the tournament.

Speaking on the floor of parliament yesterday, he stated categorically that $2,001,772.55 has been returned to the finance ministry after the team’s failure to progress in the tournament.

This call was necessitated after a petition was submitted by the convenors of the “Save Ghana Football Protest” demonstration in Accra yesterday.

However, member of parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa also shared his views after the Sports Minister’s submission, saying “Mr. Speaker, the point must be made that the $3m that we have spent for just these three matches, the abysmal performances, is in excess of what some countries have spent for the entire tournament.”