<<Print>>

�I�m Even Supposed To Chair Any Such Public Interest Committee� The President of Ghana football association, Mr. Kwesi Nyantekyi, and his cabal at the helm of affairs at the GFA seem to have acquired some bragging rights which they are employing in their desperate attempts to rubbish claims that the FA must be probed for malfeasance and malpractices. To this end, they have resorted to using all available medium to attack Kojo Bonsu�s personality without taking into consideration the merit of the concerns raised. The GFA President, last week on Metro TV�s �Good Evening Ghana� programme and under the cloak of FIFA abhorring governments interfering in football matters was throwing his weight about. According to Kwesi Nyantakyi, FIFA has a law which stipulates that there should be no interference in football management so the only time he and his cabal expect government in football related issues are when money is needed by the FA adding, �it is even a compromise that the FA is allowing government to play a role in football management�. In his attempt to read motives into Kojo Bonsu�s call on the FA to be accountable to government and the people whose taxes are used to sponsor the FA, Kwesi Nyantakyi, talked about how among all the sports administration bodies in the country, it was only the GFA which was invited to appear before the transition team which also had Kojo Bonsu as a member. Nyantakyi carefully narrated how he flared up because of a comment made by Mr. Ade Coker, a former Vice Chairman of the GFA at one of the sitting of the transition sub committee on sports. What amazed most viewers including the host himself was the fact that Kwesi Nyantakyi, Randy Abbey and others when given the opportunity to responded to issues raised by Kojo Bonsu, rather resort to attack Kojo Bonsu and ignore the issues he has raised. Mr. Nyantakyi who ignored the issue at stake, was rather interested in telling viewers how he �overwhelmingly� won the 2006 GFA general election with over 70% and Kojo Bonsu�s less than 7%, trying hard to read sinister motives into the latter�s claim. It is unfortunate Kwesi Nyantakyi and Randy Abbey�s harsh reaction to the issue has rather lend credence that the Ghana Football Association, under the leadership of Kwesi Nyantakyi is looting the state. In very proud posture, Kwesi Nyantakyi said that Ghana football saw �revolution� under his tenure as the GFA President adding that he (Nyantakyi), Randy Abbey, Rose Alhassan Abu and others drafted parts of the GFA Constitution which demanded that the FA set up Public Interest Committee according to Nyantakyi, �Act as liaison between the GFA and government�. Answering question of why the GFA failed to implement that aspect of the constitution, Nyantakyi in plain language said there was no need setting up Public Interest Committee because even if it is set up, it will have majority of its members from the GFA which he is the President and he is also likely to chair any such committee. Justifying his reasons for not setting up the committee, Kwesi Nyantakyi said, �The setting up of the Public Interest Committee as stipulated in Article 70 of the GFA constitution is unnecessary because there are other committees somehow doing the works of such committee, even the GFA Public Relations committee is not in place.� Readers will recall that the Ghanaian Lens on Tuesday published a call by a former Sports Administrator, Mr. Mawulolo Amekudzi that the GFA, Kwesi Nyantakyi and Co. should rather seek to address issues raised by Kojo Bonsu and not attack his personality. Mr. Amekudzi further threw away claims by Kwesi Nyantakyi and his cabal that the FA is an autonomous body insulated from accountability, explaining that it is the taxpayers� money that is used to fund the GFA�s activities.