Minority Spokesperson on Proper Governance and Accountability, Vincent Ekow Assafuah

Member of Parliament for Old Tafo, Vincent Ekow Assafuah, has criticised the government over the organisation of the ongoing African Athletics Championship, describing the situation as “another national embarrassment” under the National Democratic Congress (NDC) administration.

In a Facebook post on Wednesday, 13 May, Mr Assafuah accused the government of overseeing what he described as a decline in sports administration, citing reports of accommodation challenges, transportation confusion, delayed preparations, logistical setbacks, and poor treatment of athletes participating in the continental competition.

According to him, an event that should have projected Ghana positively across Africa had instead exposed weaknesses in planning and coordination.

“What should have been an opportunity to project Ghana positively before the rest of Africa has instead become a symbol of poor planning, weak coordination, and governmental neglect,” he stated.

He added that the challenges being experienced were “not isolated incidents” but reflected “a broader failure of leadership and the absence of seriousness in the management of sports under this government.”

The Ranking Member on Parliament’s Youth and Sports Committee further argued that concerns about the country’s readiness had been raised long before the start of the championship, but were ignored by the authorities.

“Warnings were issued long before the competition began. Officials within the athletics fraternity openly expressed concerns about inadequate preparation and delays in support from the government. Yet, the authorities failed to act with the urgency required for an event of this magnitude,” he wrote.

Mr Assafuah maintained that the situation was damaging Ghana’s international reputation and affecting athlete morale, insisting that sports should be treated as an important national development tool.

“Hosting a continental competition should not become a national embarrassment.

“It damages Ghana’s reputation, affects athlete morale, and sends the wrong signal to the international sporting community about our preparedness to host major events,” he said.

He further stressed that Ghanaian athletes deserved better support and leadership, describing sports as an important vehicle for national pride, youth development, economic opportunity, and international diplomacy.

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Ekow Assafuah criticizes government for poor organization of African Athletics Championship

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