African Games Plunged into Audit Scandal: Officials Deny Blame Amid Enormous Expenditure Concerns
Parliament's Youth and Sports Committee uncovered extensive financial and procurement irregularities related to the Accra 2023 African Games, with recent audit reports largely confirming these concerns. Former Minister Mustapha Ussif, despite being named in the audit report recommending sanctions, has denied responsibility and awaits a parliamentary opportunity to respond, sparking widespread debate on accountability.
Parliament’s Youth and Sports Committee, chaired by Ernest Henry Norgbey, uncovered “enormous” issues related to expenditure and procurement processes during its initial review of matters connected to the Accra 2023 African Games, which were ultimately held in 2024. Mr. Norgbey stated that recent audit reports in the public domain largely confirm concerns the committee had already identified during its engagements with officials responsible for organizing the Games.
According to Mr. Norgbey, the committee had invited the leadership of the Local Organising Committee (LOC) and other officials for discussions after concerns emerged over expenditure patterns. During these sessions, the committee’s preliminary assessment revealed multiple alleged irregularities, including over-invoicing, inflated catering costs, single-source procurement issues, overpricing, and inadequate supporting documentation for some transactions. He further claimed that responsibility for many of these questioned transactions appeared to be concentrated among a small number of officials, specifically naming the LOC chairman, the Minister, and possibly the Chief Director.
The seriousness of these concerns prompted the parliamentary committee to consider holding a public hearing on the matter. However, within the same week, the President directed the appropriate investigative authority to take up the mandate to investigate it properly. The Sports Committee Chair confirmed that the committee is now awaiting the outcome of the next stage of investigations, following reports that the President has directed the Attorney General to take up the matter.
In a separate development, former Minister for Youth and Sports, Mustapha Ussif, has denied allegations linking him to irregularities cited in the recently released comprehensive audit report on the 13th African Games, Accra 2023. The report reportedly cited him in several findings relating to procurement, contract management, and financial irregularities, and recommended sanctions and recovery actions against him, former Chief Director William Kartey, and former Local Organising Committee Chairman Dr. Kwaku Ofosu-Asare, over procurement breaches and financial infractions.
Despite these recommendations, Ussif insists he should not be held responsible for any wrongdoing identified in the document. He stated that he awaits the opportunity to officially respond to the findings, anticipating that the report will be presented to Parliament. He views the parliamentary process as the necessary platform for clarification and accountability, and looks forward to responding to all claims of impropriety. This response marks the first public reaction from any of the principal officials named, triggering intense public debate over governance, procurement compliance, and financial accountability surrounding the continental sporting event.