In what appears to be growing public frustration over government accountability, Sports and Recreation Minister Kofi Adams is under pressure to release the budget for the Black Stars’ recent World Cup qualifying matches—weeks after President John Mahama publicly demanded transparency in national team spending.
During the State of the Nation Address in February, President Mahama gave a clear directive to the Sports Ministry, emphasizing that all expenditures related to the national football team must be made public.
The statement was lauded by many as a necessary step toward financial openness in a sector that has historically been marred by opaque spending and allegations of mismanagement.
However, over three weeks have passed since Ghana played World Cup qualifying matches against Chad and Madagascar in March, and the Sports Ministry is yet to release any details of the budget.
The silence has sparked criticism, with many questioning the government’s commitment to transparency.
In response to the growing concerns, Kofi Adams told Channel One News that the budget is not being hidden.
“You will know it when the time comes,” he said, assuring the public that the figures would be made available before the next qualifiers in September against Mali and Chad.
“I’m saying that I will make it public. Has the national team ceased playing? We have the next assignment in September… it will be unfair to make a draft budget public, I’m not hiding it.”
Despite these assurances, Adams’ comments have done little to quell public skepticism.
Critics argue that waiting until the next round of games to disclose the budget for past matches defies the principle of timely transparency.
Furthermore, the delay contradicts the President’s directive and raises questions about the internal processes at the Ministry of Sports.
This is not the first time that football budgets have stirred controversy in Ghana.
The national team’s finances have frequently been at the center of debates, especially during major tournaments, with accusations of bloated travel costs, unjustified per diems, and irregularities in procurement processes.
The latest delay adds to a broader narrative that successive governments have struggled to manage sports funding with the openness that the public demands.
For now, Kofi Adams’ vague timeline and refusal to release a “draft budget” leave more questions than answers—casting a shadow over the very transparency drive President Mahama championed.
–BY Issah Olegor
