…World Cup

Mr. Kwesi Pratt Junior, the Managing Editor of the Insight newspaper, on Wednesday evening embarked on his first official trip as a member of government, to South Africa.

Mr. Pratt, this newspaper has learned, is part of the official government delegation to South Africa to participate in the final draw of the FIFA World Cup Draw, which is due to take place in Cape Town, South Africa today. This newspaper has learned that a few days ago, the Ministry of Youth and Sports forwarded the names of Mr. Pratt along with other members of the government delegation to the Ghana Football Association (GFA) for accreditation to the event in South Africa, but the request was denied.

Mr. Pratt however still emplaned with the Sports Minister on Wednesday evening for a trip that is raising many eyebrows in official circles, in the light of the fact that without official FIFA accreditation Mr. Pratt would be unable to attend the venue of the World Cup Draw, meaning that he would have to watch the event, like all of us, on television.

Already, Mr. Pratt’s visit to Cape Town is raising many eyebrows in official government circles, where questions are being raised as to his capacity as an official of government and the cost of the trip, since Mr. Pratt in previous times has raised questions about similarly frivolous trips.

Yesterday Deputy Sports Minister Nii Nortey Dua told this newspaper that he did not have the details of the trip.

“I don’t have the details with me…. I am in Accra here and my Minister is gone. I don’t know the delegation the government sent. My Minister is gone to South Africa. He left last night and he hasn’t called me for me to see his number so that I can communicate with him,” Nii Nortey Dua said. Meanwhile checks conducted through people close to Mr. Pratt indicate that he is indeed in South Africa.

Speaking to this newspaper yesterday, a highly placed source at the ministry said that it was interesting that Mr. Pratt was on the official government delegation in an official capacity, even though he is not a government official. “He does not work here, so why is he using our funds and our name to travel to South Africa?” the source wondered.

The source further wondered whether the trip was not a waste of the taxpayer’s funds, in the light of the fact that Mr. Pratt was denied accreditation to attend the event itself.

“Like all of us, if he is really interested in the draw, he would have to watch on TV, so why fly to South Africa for that?” the source further wondered.