North Tongu’s Member of Parliament, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has called for the immediate dissolution of the Ghana Football Association’s (GFA) search committee tasked with selecting a new coach for the Black Stars.
Ablakwa emphasized the critical need for a complete overhaul of the country’s sports structure and advocated for the creation of a national sports policy to govern sporting activities.
Recent allegations from Ablakwa revealed that the Ministry of Youth and Sports allocated approximately $8.5 million for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) without receiving parliamentary approval.
Speaking to the press in Kumasi, he urged the GFA to cease the activities of the coach search committee and highlighted the absence of a national sports policy, questioning the strategic vision for Ghana’s football.
Expressing his frustration over the absence of a FIFA-certified pitch in Ghana, Ablakwa called for a suspension of international sporting competitions until fundamental issues in the country’s sports infrastructure are addressed. He insisted on disbanding the coach search committee, criticizing the hasty appointment of coaches without a clear roadmap for the sport.
Furthermore, Ablakwa hinted at initiating a bipartisan parliamentary probe into the budget for the AFCON 2023 tournament, deeming the current situation unconstitutional and illegal. He stressed the importance of parliamentary approval before spending public funds and pledged to present a motion to Speaker Alban Bagbin for a comprehensive bipartisan parliamentary inquiry.
In light of Ghana’s disappointing performance in AFCON 2023, where the team exited the tournament without a win after losses to Cape Verde and draws with Egypt and Mozambique, Ablakwa’s calls for reform are timely and significant.
