Chairman of Parliament's Select Committee for Youth, Sports, and Tourism, Kobena Mensah Woyome, has alleged that Ghana spent over $4 million on the Games Management System during the 2023 African Games.

This revelation has raised concerns about the country's expenditure on the event, which took place from March 8th to 23rd under the theme "Experience the African Dream."

Speaking to JoySports about Ghana's financial outlay for the 13th African Games, Mr. Woyome questioned the cost of certain items, particularly the games management system.

He expressed doubt over the $4.5 million figure reportedly spent on the system, stating that the cost seemed unusually high, given what was actually observed during the event.

"Even the games management system itself…the cost of putting it together and the standard we know at continental events—it just doesn't add up," the South Tongu MP said.

"For instance, the accreditation process and the tags given…we did not see anything extraordinary. But do you know how much we spent? As we are told, it was $4.5 million for that. So, what actually went into it?"

In response to these concerns, Mr. Woyome revealed that he had written to ATOS Information Technology, the company responsible for providing the games management system, seeking clarification on how the funds were utilized.

The controversy surrounding the Games' finances deepened when Mr. Woyome also alleged that the government spent $15 million on feeding the 2,644 athletes who participated in the 18-day event across Accra and Kumasi.

"You're spending $245 million, and out of that, we got to know that a whopping $15 million was used to feed athletes for 18 days," he asserted.

Mr. Woyome's concerns have sparked calls for a bipartisan inquiry into the financial management of the African Games. He stressed the need for transparency, stating, "Some of these things need to be investigated."

The 2023 African Games attracted over 5,000 athletes and officials who competed in 22 sports disciplines. However, six months after the event concluded, the Local Organizing Committee and the Sports Ministry have yet to provide a detailed account of the total expenditure, despite repeated assurances.

Further complicating the issue, Sports Minister Mustapha Ussif recently revealed before the Public Accounts Committee that his ministry paid over $3 million to the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) to produce and broadcast the Games.

However, GBC's Director General, Prof. Amin Alhassan, countered that the state broadcaster only received $105,000, with the rest being paid to third-party service providers.

This discrepancy has fueled public suspicion about how the funds were distributed and to whom. The Sports Ministry later clarified that a $3.6 million contract was signed with GBC, out of which $2.5 million was paid to the broadcaster in two instalments, with $1 million directed to third-party providers at GBC's behest.

This explanation has raised questions about a $100,000 expenditure discrepancy.