Edwin Nii Lante Vanderpuye, the Member of Parliament for Ododiodoo, has criticized Minister of Youth and Sports Mustapha Ussif for his handling of the Norway marathon scandal that has recently shaken Ghanaian sports.
Vanderpuye’s remarks follow Ussif’s statement at a press conference in Accra, where he claimed he could not be held accountable for the controversy that has stirred Ghanaian sports.
The scandal began when a group of alleged para-athletes, who were supposed to represent Ghana at the Bergen Marathon in Oslo, Norway, in April, went missing after their arrival. The situation became tragic when one individual lost his life, and another was detained by Norwegian authorities while attempting to relocate to Sweden.
In response to the scandal, Ussif stated that he could not be held responsible, emphasizing that the Norwegian authorities who issued the visas had not verified the athletes’ legitimacy with the ministry.
Speaking on Eyewitness News with Umaru Sanda on Wednesday, July 24, Vanderpuye criticized the sports minister’s comments. He questioned why the ministry or officials who sent a letter to the Ministers of Youth and Sports and Foreign Affairs did not consult the federation president beforehand.
He also questioned why the Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not verify the representatives’ credentials with the Youth and Sports Minister before issuing the note verbally.
Vanderpuye condemned the tendency to place blame on the foreign office, noting that it is not familiar with the country’s athletes.
“That is a problem we have created for ourselves. Under this regime, the image and the integrity of the country have since been damaged now when you mention that you are from Ghana, you are looked at with a different eye and people want to find out whether you are truly a Ghanaian.
“We have situations where people who were not Ghanaians are officially made to represent Ghana as Ghanaians taking our resources and taking our resources away.
“So, under this government, everything has been turned upside down and I am sure that what has happened is going to further damage the reputation of our sports federation our Olympic Committee, our national sports authority and the Ministry of Youth and Sports.
“I am sure that the embassy that will be handling our accreditation for the para-Olympic Games will be cautious enough for the way they are being blamed by the minister and the sports ministry,” he stated.
