The Minister of Youth and Sports, Mustapha Ussif, has clearly stated that he cannot be held accountable for the controversy known as the Norway Scandal, which has caused a stir in Ghana sports.
A group claiming to be para-athletes who were supposed to represent Ghana at the Bergren Marathon in Oslo, Norway in April, disappeared after arriving in the country. One individual tragically lost his life, while another was detained by Norwegian authorities while trying to relocate to Sweden.
This incident was documented in a letter from the Ministry of National Security, which was also sent to the Sports Ministry and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and National Integration.
Samson Deen, the President of the National Paralympic Committee-Ghana, revealed in a video that his signature was fraudulently used on the letter the individuals submitted for visa applications.
Earlier this week, the Ministry issued a statement condemning the actions of the alleged para-athletes and vowed to impose “punitive measures” on those found guilty of impersonation.
During a press conference at the Ministry of Youth and Sports, Mustapha Ussif emphasized that he could not be held accountable for the scandal, as proper procedures were not followed.
He explained, “You follow protocol by writing to the National Sports Authority and the National Sports Authority will write to the Ministry (Sports). In this case, I have just told you, that nothing of such nature happened until I even got the reportage, we didn’t know.”
He further added, “Secondly, the Norwegian authorities who issued the visas to the athletes didn’t see it prudent to even verify from the Ministry to see whether these are genuine athletes or not so to your question whether I will take responsibility, I’m sorry I can’t.”
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