Member of Parliament (MP) for the Odododiodio constituency, Mr Edwin Nii Lante Vanderpuye has alleged that all 275 members of Ghana’s Parliament were offered a slot by the Ministry of Youth and Sports to watch the Black Stars at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt.
The former Youth and Sports Minister believes that the move was part of clandestine efforts by the current Minister Isaac Kwame Asiamah to silence expected criticism of the budget for the tournament by MPs.
Vanderpuye In an interview monitored by Graphic Online on Citi TV stated that Mr Asiamah “tried to shut Parliament up” with the gesture.
He said a letter was brought to Parliament for every Parliamentarian who wanted to watch the AFCON in Egypt to put their name down or nominate an individual from their constituency to represent them.
He said: “Party supporters have been sent. Look, the Minister tried to set Parliament up. Let me tell you like he said we all agreed that some journalists were sent so they come back, they cannot speak. Some of them who are speaking are being criticised for taking the money and coming to speak, you understand?
“Look, a letter was brought to us in Parliament indicating that all of us MPs who want to go to Cairo should put our names down, if we cannot go, then nominate one person from your constituency to go…”.
He said he suspected an ill motive behind the gesture so he advised the leadership of the Minority to reject the offer.
“Then I told my leadership, don’t go, a trap is being set for you. When you go, people are going to chop money. When they chop the money, when they come back you cannot criticise them”.
Ghana spent $4.5m on the Black Stars’ AFCON campaign.