Not even 1 pesewa will be spent on Supporters’ Union to World Cup – Information Minister

• Posted on March 17, 2014March 17, 2014
• by Nana Kwesi Coomson
• Comment

Minister of Information and Media Relations, Mahama Ayariga has stated categorically that government will not spend any cash on various supporters’ unions who will seek government funding to rally behind the Black Stars in Brazil.

He however debunked claims that government will airlift about one thousand (1,000) supporters to the largest Latin American country come June when the FIFA World Cup commences.

According to Mahama Ayariga, cabinet’s approval of GH¢24.6M budget for Black Stars does not include any penny for supporters’ unions.

“There is not even 1pesewa in the approved budget for any supporters’ union…pesewa was not budgeted for any supporters. Organisations and supporters union must look elsewhere for other sources of funding for their activities. There is no budget to send people to Brazil,” he said.

Cabinet approved GH¢10,500,000 to the Ghana Football Association (GFA) as budget for the national football team’s participation in the first group stage of the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil.

GH¢14,177,025 has also been budgeted to cover the team’s expenses when they qualify for subsequent stages of the competition. It brings the total amount to GH¢24,677,025 after the FA presented a provisional budget of $20 million to Government for the tournament.

Speaking on Adom FM, Hon. Ayariga said that; “Maybe the Ministry of Youth and Sports and the GFA will find ways and means to send the people to Brazil. But government doesn’t have 1pesewa for them”.

He however said that; “..Cooperate Ghana can support supporters to go. If you use public money, how do you even select the people to go…which supporters should be selected because everybody is a supporter of the Black Stars. These are serious issues we should think through”.