The Chairman for the Parliamentary Select Committee on Youth, Sports and Culture, Alex Agyekum, has denied justifying any wrongdoing in government’s decision to spend $4.5 million on Black Stars at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Egypt.

In a rejoinder, the MP for Mpoho said the publisher from Ghanacrusader.com was induced by his constituent opponent to tarnish his image. He added that the said publisher has gone against journalistic ethics and indicts his personality as an MP.

Mr Agyekum described the quote attributed to him to be childish with no verification to check the authenticity of his speech and has therefore challenged the publisher to provide an audio of his statement as evidence.

Below is the full rejoinder

I found a story on Ghanaweb which was published by Ghanacrusader.com titled “There is nothing wrong with blowing $4.5 million on AFCON”.

I don’t know who published that but the particular person who published the story has gone against the ethical standards they work with. This is something directly indicting the Member of Parliament and a Chairman of a Select Committee of Parliament, You publish this without giving the author the chance to verify.

I want to also set the records straight that since the AFCON issues came up, I have granted interviews to a number of radio stations and there’s nowhere that I have stated that the $4.5million which was spent on the AFCON activities is peanut and if they’ve spent it, they should spend it. I have never stated that and it’s so childish from my part to say that.

I made my point clear that the minister came to parliament to give a statement after which Members of Parliament were made to comment on it. On my side, I made it clear that we still have to call the Youth and Sports Minister to appear before the committee to give us details of the itemized expenses which had been summed together so we know what went into it. I have stated that on so many platforms.

So for someone to publish something in inverted commas purporting to be a statement by me, I’m challenging that person to give me the voice and radio station I stated that.

I entreat the general public to treat it with the contempt it deserves.

I want to state that this is coming from the camp of my opponent, the one who wants to contest me in my area (constituency), this is not the first time of doing this particular thing.

He has gathered some people to be doing this, there are evidences of the KASA Group of Western Region, a communication team who have been told to smear me with that negative campaign but they have refused to do it and they have him on record.