Why president Mahama order investigation into $245m All African Games expenditure for Ghana

Ghana president John Mahama order di kontris Auditor General to carry out forensic audit into di organization of di 13th All Africa Games wey happun for Ghana from 8-23 March 2024.

Di $245m budget for di games wey cause controversy even bifor di games itserf start now be subject of investigation.

Civil society groups and investigative media outlet Fourth Estate publish one report about di expenditure for di games and wetin dem tok say be questionable line items and dia various cost.

Even though di games end well, wit Ghana getting dia highest medal collection, pipo want make govment investigate di whole organization.

President Mahama first refer di mata to di National Intelligence Bureau (NIB), wey dem submit report to him.

Now di president say di Auditor General get six weeks to finish di forensic audit and submit di report to di presidency.

Areas dis forensic audit go cover

Di Auditor General dey expected to investigate all di financial and operational aspects of di games. Di audit go cover areas like;

Dis dey include di tendering and selection of vendors, suppliers and oda contractors according to di kontris procurement laws.

Financial management and expenditure control

Dis go cover all di sources of funding, disbursement and expenditure including sponsorships and subventions.

Di forensic audit dey expected to check di implementation, cost variations and timelines for some of di decisions wey di sports ministry take.

Dem also for check for value-for-money for all di facilities wey di kontri develop for di games.

Di audit go check and verify di ownership and status of assets wey di kontri procure or construct ahead of di games.

Di forensic audit dey expected to evaluate di roles and responsibilities of agencies and committees wey dey involved for di planning and execution of di games.

Some expenditure items for 13th All African Games

Bifor di All-Africa Games go begin, di sports minister at di time, Mustapha Ussif confam say govment spend $195m on infrastructure out of which $145m dey invested in di construction of di Borteyman Sports Centre (one of di sports facilities wey dem use for di games).

Di minister also explain during di press conference say di kontri spend $34m to renovate di University of Ghana stadium, and $16m for di rehabilitation of di Games Village for Legon.

Mustapha Ussif continue to add say di ministry put aside $47.7m as operational budget.

"Unlike football tournaments like di Africa Cup of Nations where di football federation dey in charge of accommodation cost for various teams, di host kontri for di All-Africa Games dey responsible for di hotel bills of all participating football teams wey dey part of di game budget," di sports minister tok.

Experts and oda CSOs say di total amount dem spend for di games be more than $250m.

Days afta di games end, some volunteers protest over unpaid stipends, bifor di local organizing committee agree to pay dem dia money.

Reaction to presidential audit directive

Afta di president call for di forensic audit, anti-corruption crusaders say dem expect proper job wey go lead to prosecution of pipo wey allegedly chop govment money.

Co-chair for di citizens movement against corruption, oga Edem Senanu say "dis be important step, especially when di president dey on top of issues to see what we as citizens dey see about corruption and tins like dis wey deserve attention."

"We dey hope say dis forensic audit go bring result wey go benefit di kontri – and punish wrongdoing to prevent odas from di same tin for future," he tok for local network TV3.

Experts and sports analysts say for di president to order dis kind investigation mean say dem find something fishy for di expenditure for di games, wey dem dey expect proper action afta di audit.

In 2024, di opposition party (now di govment in power – NDC) in parliament demand investigation into di expenditure for di games.

Rankin member for dat committee at dat time, oga Kobena Mensah Woyome, tok say di plenty money govment pump into di games no deliver di expected economic value.

"Di games be disaster and embarrassment to dis kontri, afta all di $245m dem spend for dis games, tins still no go well," Kobena Woyome tok journalists for one press conference for parliament on 26 March 2024.

"Four years ago, Morocco organize di Africa games wit 46 million euros, bifor dat Congo spend $60m to host di 11th edition, so why Ghana spend $245m, at a time of economic crisis?"

Lawmaker and member of parliament for Ketu North Edem Agbana say "dis proper forensic audit go reveal plenty tins, wey go lead to di arrest and prosecution of many pipo."

"Di figures be outrageous, wey di money dem say dem spend to renovate sports facilities and oda tins no dey show for ground. In fact, dem no get podium for di winners for one of di disciplines, dem use cardboard to write di kontris."

Edem Agbana add say "we no wan dis investigation to be like di many oda ones wey go drag and drag wey we no go see di end of it," Edem tok on top TV3.

All eyes go dey di Auditor General office and di presidency in di coming weeks to see wetin go happun next.

13th All African Games

Some 5,000 athletes from 52 nations participate for 30 disciplines during di games in Ghana in 2024.

Egypt dominate di games wit total of 189 medals, 101 of dem be gold, wey Nigeria follow wit 120 medals wey South Africa get 106 medals.

Ghana get dia highest number of medals for di games wit 68 (19 gold, 29 silver, 20 bronze).

Dis number pass di kontris previous best of 27 medals for di 1973 games.

Di All-African Games be continental sports event wey dem dey organize every four years, owned by di Africa union on behalf of di member kontris.

Di games be to promote track-and-field events and discover talented athletes for di continent.

Athletes and organizing teams dey use di games to prepare for international and inter-continental games wey e also be to promote cultural exchange and tourism.

Dem organize di first ever Africa games from 18-25 July 1965 for Brazzaville.

Since den, Nigeria, Algeria, Kenya, Egypt, Zimbabwe, South Africa all host di games.

Oda kontris like Mozambique and Morocco also host di games in di past.

Egypt go host di next All-African Games in 2027.