MoYS won’t take responsibility for missing paralympic team – Minister
The Ministry of Youth and Sports (MoYS) says it will not take responsibility for the 11 Ghanaian paralympic athletes reported to have absconded after landing in Oslo, Norway, to participate in the Fjordkraft Bergen City Marathon in April this year.
Over the weekend, news about the group emerged after a letter from the Ministry of National Security informing MoYS and Foreign Affairs, and Regional Integration about the group leaked.
Speaking at a media briefing yesterday for clarity, Mustapha Ussif, the Youth and Sports Minister, said his outfit cannot take responsibility for the missing Ghanaian paralympic athletes who, according to claims, absconded while in Oslo, Norway.
“I cannot take responsibility for what has happened because the laid-down protocols for sporting federations and athletes travelling outside for international events were not followed.”
“If they had followed the protocols of writing to the National Sports Authority (NSA), they would have written to the Sports Ministry. We would have been in the know.”
Secondly, he said the Norwegian authorities who issued the visas to the athletes did not see it prudent to verify from the Sports Ministry whether the athletes were genuine or not, and until investigations were completed, I cannot verify if indeed those athletes are Ghanaians.
He further stated that the Ghana Paralympic Committee has not written to him or his outfit on any travel; all news pertaining to this matter has been through the media.
He warned people who take advantage of athletes in such situations to put a stop to it before the law catches up with them.
Giving updates on works on the remaining multi-purpose regional youth resource centres being constructed by the government across the country, the minister revealed that they have
had some challenges with regard to payment for some contractors.
“Challenges with the payment of the contractor’s certificate have been our bane now. We are working hard to pay their money so that they can go back to complete them.”
He revealed that the Dunkwa-On-Offin Centre was done, as the Ministry plans to commission it for use soon. The Wa centre is currently 95 per cent completed; and the contractors for the Dormaa-Ahenkro and Axim centres are currently in phase two of the projects.
According to him, challenges with phase two have been solved, and very soon contractors will move to sites to complete work on the Azumah Nelson, Yendi, Navrongo and Nyinahini centres.
He described as inaccurate media reports that MoYS owed over 48 hoteliers over 80 per cent of funds for various services rendered during the just-ended 13th African Games held in Accra.
“We engaged 44 hotels during the Games, and only 28 of these hotels are owed at the moment; the rest have all been paid in full.”
“The 28 hotels have all been paid more than 40 per cent of their monies, and when funds are released, they will be paid the rest of their monies,” he further added.
BY RAYMOND ACKUMEY
