The Presidential Commission investigating the botched 2014 World Cup in Brazil has reportedly ordered the Ghana Football Association (GFA) to pay the entire $8 million World Cup prize money to the government of Ghana.
This was confirmed by the Youth and Sports Minister, Mahama Ayariga in an interview with Joy Sports’ Benedict Owusu.
The Association after receiving the FIFA prize money early this week, refunded to government some $4.3 million being monies it borrowed for activities relating to the 2014 World Cup.
The FA depended on that ‘loan’ from government to pay appearance fees of players and officials as well as other expenses that came with the participation in the World Cup.
After paying off the loan, Thursday, the FA was hoping to use the remaining amount for “legacy projects” but that may be put on hold, at least for now, because the presidential commission has ordered the FA to pay all the amount to government until the commission completes its hearing and submits a report.
The Minister said it received a letter from the Commission and intends to comply with it.
“The GFA President came to inform me that he has brought a cheque in respect of the money that was loaned to them to go to Brazil and I also informed him I had received a letter from the Commission that he should hand the entire amount to the Ministry of Youth and Sports to keep, pending the outcome of the report of the Commission and we intend to respect the correspondence from the commission,”
He promised to forward the letter to the GFA for action.
GFA Spokesperson, Ibrahim Sannie Daara told Joy News they are yet to receive the letter.
He was however surprised that an order of such nature would come from the Commission when the GFA had agreed with government that it would repay the amount loaned to them and invest the rest of the money in legacy projects.
He said there is cabinet correspondence to show that the GFA was only to repay the amount loaned to it by government.
Sannie Daara would not say whether or not the GFA would comply with the directive if it receives the letter, except to add that the Executive Committee would be meeting with its lawyers to take a decision on it.
this kind of double standard is what is killing ghana sports ..and football sprcifically. GFA is acting as if without ghana it can exist . it is time all thses pple are cleared from the place ..so that we start all all over again …. went u need money or projects you go to government ..when its time for other things ,you u say u are independence ..we will tolerate this to stage pple will rise soon.