Kwesi Pratt: Officials of Our Sports Are Killing Us

The Managing Editor of The Insight newspaper, Kwesi Pratt Jnr. has said the whooping sums of money government invest in football could be channeled to other sectors of the economy as such the sport must yield results so the monies does not go waste. Kwesi Pratt also raised the issue of our sports officials who are gradually killing Ghanaians with their inflated and outrageous expenditure during national assignments. He told Peace FM that, most of the time the officials are even more than the athletes when going for competitions or tournaments. �Officials of our sports are killing us,� he said. �Money we put in football can be used for other investments. Though football is important; it brings entertainment and sells the country worldwide, but that money which is invested in football can be channeled to the health sector, solve our water problems in the country and electricity,� he told Tweneboah Kodua. According to him the main reason Ghana is encountering power distribution problems were because of debt. �The amount of money owed is unbelievable...sometimes the country cannot even buy crude oil,� he said. He added that money used in importing crude was comparatively smaller than what is being invested into football. The controversial outspoken journalist, on Peace FM�s �kokrokoo� programme told Tweneboah Kodua (TK) the host that, the results needed from the Black Stars notwithstanding the monies they receive from government was not forthcoming. He bemoaned that though the government has made every effort by pumping more resources in terms of money in to the game, the needed results were not being realized. According Mr. Pratt, despites the wobbly performance of the Stars in recent times, Ghana should still maintain its local coach since some expatriate coaches had come only to squander our money. He also lauded President John Mahama for his government�s promise to ensuring the rebuilding of the Black Stars to restore its past glory.