The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has criticised the Ministry of Sports and Recreation for submitting unsupported claims of GH¢35.8 million to the Finance Ministry for 6,000 police officers deployed during the 2023 All-African Games.
The Committee also raised concerns over a separate GH¢455,000 bill submitted for hostel accommodation used during the Games, which similarly lacked supporting documentation.
During the PAC hearing on Monday, May 18, Ranking Member Samuel Atta-Mills expressed strong displeasure over the irregularities and suggested a drastic measure to address recurring issues at the ministry.
“There are unsupported claims amounting to GH¢35.8 million for just 6,000 police officers during the African Games. GH¢35.8 million was spent in 2024 on police officers alone, yet there is no documentation to support the expenditure. How is that possible?” he queried.
“There was a time when the Ministry of Sports changed ministers almost every year. If we still cannot understand this duplication and these irregularities, then I don’t see why only the minister should be changed every year. Maybe everyone in the ministry should be changed every year while the minister stays,” he added.
Executive Chairman of the Local Organising Committee for the 2023 African Games, Dr Kwaku Ofosu-Asare, explained that the police were initially expected to only provide security duties, and the LOC had even fed them at the early stages.
“Initially, the police officers were only supposed to assist in carrying out security duties. We were even feeding them at first, but later they pulled out. Then, out of nowhere, at the end of the event, they submitted this bill,” Dr Ofosu-Asare said.
“I wrote to them asking them to justify such a huge amount, but they could not provide any justification. So that is how we got to this point. I was shocked to the marrow by the kind of bill they presented, and I asked them to provide a breakdown and supporting details for what they were claiming,” he continued.