The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has demanded the resignation of Mr Mustapha Ussif, the Minister of Youth and Sports, and the dissolution of the Local Organising Committee (LOC) for the 13th African Games due to Ghana's unpreparedness to host the competition.
Accusing the government of tarnishing Ghana's reputation and bankrupting the national economy, the NDC expressed disappointment over the increasing number of participating countries withdrawing from the competition.
In a statement issued by Mr. Sammy Gyamfi, the National Communications Officer of the NDC, the party highlighted instances such as South Africa's withdrawal of its men's and women's hockey teams due to the substandard nature of Ghana's hockey pitch, and Ghana's Cycling Champion, Michael Naaba's withdrawal from the cycling competition after his bicycle broke down.
Additionally, Ghana's Swimming Team reportedly withdrew from the 4×100 relay final for undisclosed reasons, further exacerbating the embarrassment for the country.
The NDC described the preparation process as ‘scandalous' and pledged to revisit it if elected into office.
The statement outlined several demands, including the resignation or dismissal of the Sports Minister for gross incompetence, the dissolution of the LOC, a forensic audit into the budget and expenditure for the games, and a televised probe by Parliament into the expenditure and organization of the event.
The NDC's call for accountability comes amidst mounting criticism of Ghana's hosting of the African Games, highlighting the need for urgent action to address the situation.
