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LOC clarifies 2023 African Games Expenditure: We paid $2.9m, not $4.5m for Games Management System
Accra, Ghana - October 1, 2024 - The Executive Chairman of the Local Organising Committee (LOC) for the 2023 African Games, Dr. Kwaku Ofosu-Asare, has set the record straight on the Games Management System expenditure, contradicting claims made by Parliament's Select Committee for Youth, Sports, and Tourism Chairman, Kobena Mensah Woyome.
At a press conference held at the Accra Sports Stadium on September 30, 2024, Dr. Ofosu-Asare revealed that the actual expenditure was $2.9 million, not $4.5 million as alleged by Woyome. The LOC hired ATOS, a renowned technology integrator also employed for the 2024 Paris Olympics, to execute the job.
"We paid the company [Atos] $2,995,000, which amounted to GH¢35,940,000 and not $4.5m; you can quote me anywhere," Ofosu-Asare said.
"It is important to note that during the organization of the Games, Hon. Woyome met the LOC on three separate occasions at the instance of the Parliament Select Committee and never sought to procure information from the LOC itself to satisfy the queries pertaining to the issuance of contracts,'' he added.
The Games Management System encompasses various components, including:
- Accreditation Tags: A subset of the system
- TV Graphics
- Commentators Information System
- Sports Entry and Qualification
- Games Results
- Final Results
The Local Organising Committee for the 2023 African Games held a press conference on Monday, September 30, 2024 to 'clarify' reports on expenditure for the event
Woyome had expressed concerns over the actual expenditure, focusing on accreditation tags. However, Dr. Ofosu-Asare's clarification provides a clearer picture of the system's scope.
The Sports Minister, Mustapha Ussif, is expected to appear before Parliament to provide a comprehensive breakdown of the 2023 African Games expenditure. Ghana hosted the Games from March 8-23, 2024, securing an impressive 69 medals.
Source: Lead News Online
