Mahama Ayariga Dares NPP...

Minister of Youth and Sports, Mahama Ayariga has challenged the Minority in parliament to bring past African Cup of Nations (AFCON) budgets from former Youth and Sports ministers for comparison.

His challenge comes in the wake of mounting demands for clarity in the monies spent in the lead up to and during the recently ended 2015 AFCON

Mahama Ayariga told Parliament Wednesday that government spent about $5.717.869 on Ghana’s preparations and subsequent participation in the 2015 AFCON tournament in Equatorial Guinea.

The Minority in Parliament have however challenged the figure, saying it lacks critical elements and can at best be described as a “half budget.”

But Mr Ayariga on Adom FM’s Dwaso Nsem Thursday dared the Minority in parliament to also produce the budgets of their former youth and sports ministers for comparison.

He said the expenditure of every AFCON in the New Patriotic Party (NPP) regime was much higher than what he presented to parliament.

“The NPP should also produce their budget on AFCON while they were in government for us to compare and see who spent what. “I must confess that our budget is even better than theirs some years ago and so I am challenging them to also bring theirs out” he insisted.

Mr. Ayariga denied airlifting supporters from Ghana to Equatorial Guinea for the tournament. “My ministry didn’t spend a penny on the supporters. I was not involved and have no information because the ministry of youth and sports has no hand in it” he added.