Spokesperson for the Normalization Committee Dan Kweku Yeboah has taken a swipe at Sports journalists who are criticizing the Sports Ministry over the whopping AFCON 2019 budget, despite benefiting immensely from Ghana’s participation in the continent’s showpiece.
Selected journalists were airlifted to Egypt for the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) at the expense of the taxpayers’ money- their airfares, match tickets, accommodation, international transportation, allowances were all bore by the state.
The Minister for Youth and Sports Isaac Asiamah revealed on Wednesday when he appeared before Parliament that Ghana budgeted $6.3 million for the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations and ended up spending $4.5 million because the Black Stars were knocked out in the round of 16.
READ MORE: Each Black Stars player received $ 82,155 for just a win in AFCON 2019
The beneficiaries of the staggering expenditure include players, technical team members, supporters, journalists, club administrators, politicians who followed the Black Stars to Egypt, etc.
Ghanaians have been critical of the gargantuan 2019 Africa Cup of Nations expenditure after the Sports Minister addressed the house of Parliament.
Dan Kweku Yeboah, the spokesperson of the Normalisation Committee is however astonished that some of the journalists who benefitted from the 2019 AFCON budget have made a U-turn to criticize it and has, therefore, warned them to shut up.
“What is painful is that those who benefited from the booty have turned around to criticise the budget,” he told Peace FM
“They (journalists) went and enjoyed and have made a U-turn to criticise the budget. When we were criticizing the budget in the past, we did not take part in the sharing of the money.
“We didn’t want our name to be associated with it. But if you went and chopped some of the money, you must shut up!
“You were part of the those who chopped the money, then you made a sudden U-turn to criticize the budget. It is hypocrisy.
“If others are talking, you also get the nerve to talk after enjoying the booty. What kind of Kweku Ananse story is that?
“I am referring to some of the journalists and football administrators.”
Popular Kumasi-based radio station Fox FM reported on Thursday that Ghanaian journalists who traveled on Business Class to Egypt for the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations were paid $5,000 each.
The country’s spectacular failure to end a 37-year wait for an African crown has been dogged by allegations of financial malfeasance.
