Football clubs in Ghana are up in arms with government over attempts to dissolve the federation as pressure begins to mount on the ruling party to paddle backwards on the move amid a looming FIFA ban.
The ruling New Patriotic Party appears to riding on a populist tune to disband the game after an investigative piece by journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas revealed perceived widespread corruption in the game in the West African nation.
A 10-day injunction secured to halt football activities elapse today (Friday) after the court granted an ex parte motion filed by the country’s Attorney General two weeks ago.
The Ghana FA has responded to the petition, urging the court to dismiss the claims as unmeritorious.
The Ghana FA has been dissolved and replaced with a ‘disjointed’ five-member committee – a move the government says its essential while legal proceedings against the country’s football authority were ongoing.
Ghana’s government has canceled a proposed meeting with FIFA to resolve the crisis that has crippled football in the powerful West African nation – a move which could incur the wrath of the world governing body.
FIFA would possible warn of a possible suspension for the West African country if it did not restore the old leadership to power.
Several football club owners in Ghana have been angered by the stance of the ruling party, vowing to fight the government in the current scheme of things.
Tema Youth owner Wilfred Osei Kwaku said: “The current situation is worrying to all of us and we must watch it,”
“Nobody will allow anybody who does not have an interest in football to take the reigns of power.
“Reforms must be undertaken by football people. FIFA will not bend it rules to favour anybody.
New Edubiase President Abdul Salam Yakubu further posited: “What is happening is shocking. The major actors found in the video have been asked to step aside, so what again? he quizzed on Accra-based Asempa FM
“Kwasi Nyantakyi has resigned from FIFA, CAF and WAFU. The man that many people in Ghana do not want to see has bowed out. And so what the crime of the clubs again? Unless government is telling us they are privy to something huge that we’re not aware of.
“If not, then this back and forth is a precious waste of time. I simply do not understand why football should grind to a halt because of the sins of a few people.
Berekum Chelsea president Nana Kwame Nketiah has been left bemused by the trend of event.
“We have players that we must pay and take care of yet there is no business to do,” he
“Has anybody resulted to find out how we get money to take care of our players? It’s absolutely absurd to collapse the game simply because few individuals are alleged to have been involved in some corrupt practices.
“This form of populist approach will not help.”
Club owners are now going public with their sentiments amid a looming FIFA ban which threaten livelihood in the powerful West African nation.
Fifa, however, will take a dim view of the development with Ghana risk being banned from all international football activities if the dissolved officials are not reinstated.
The world governing body, which has zero tolerance for governmental interference, has insisted it will hold the meeting with the FA’s scribe in attendance.
But the stance appear to have angered the ruling party, leading to the decision to boycott the scheduled meeting.
Ghana football is on a murky path with several hundreds of footballers and officials left hanging with their fate unknown as the legal tussle continue to wage on.
Ghana League Clubs Association chairman Kudjoe Fianoo has withdrawn from a five-member committee tasked with managing football in Ghana – a move which has been bizarrely denied by the Sports Ministry.
FIFA is already unhappy over government’s decision to dissolve the Ghana Football Association which the world governing body expects must be free from governmental control.
The decision to appoint a five-man committee has also widened the rift with FIFA insisting that elected football officials must be made to run the game and not people appointed by government.
Source: GHANAsoccernet.com