Minister Badjie Clarifies D10 Million Stadium Fund Cited in 2023 National Audit Report

By Makutu Manneh 

The Minister of Youth and Sports, Bakary Y. Badjie, has clarified issues surrounding a D10 million allocation cited in the 2023 National Audit Report, stating that the amount was neither requested for nor related to the ongoing stadium renovation project.

According to the minister, the D10 million was not part of the contract agreement for the current renovation works and should not be linked to them in any audit assessment.

“There was no 10 million that was requested as part of additional works, that D10 million was not even part of the contract agreement, nor was it part of the works that are being done currently,” he said.

He explained that the funds in question were disbursed by the Ministry of Finance in 2020 to support recommended works at the stadium ahead of The Gambia’s qualification matches for the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).

“For other works, maybe when we played here in 2021, you saw there was a scoreboard there. There were also other works that were done around the stadium.”

Minister Badjie noted that his ministry responded to the audit queries by clarifying that the D10 million allocation was unrelated to the current renovation phases and therefore should not have been included in the 2023 and 2024 audit considerations.

He stressed that the funds should not be associated with the ongoing works, emphasizing the need for accurate public information.

“These are some of the things that we believe need clarification on both stadium works and audit queries for the interests of the public,” he said. 

The 2023 National Audit Report stated that Phase Two and Phase Three of the stadium renovation project cost D153 million and D83 million, respectively, and referenced an additional D10 million reportedly requested for further renovations. The report highlighted concerns about financial management and accountability. In response, Minister Badjie disputed the inclusion of the D10 million, reiterating that it was not requested for additional renovation works under the current project.