Since the inception of the 1992 constitution ,I have purposely refused to call any member of parliament “Honorable” because about 80 percent don’t deserve the title. The lack integrity and intelligence. In 1994 as a young journalist. I saw the caliber of persons elected into our parliament. Majority at the them lack the character and capacity . One of them could not speak any English at all.
Even though much as changed since then, in terms of their level of education and qualifications , their impact on the society and constituents remain same. Again they have not function and performed as an oversight committee for the rot in our society.
Their partisan and party colors, always outweigh national interest.
Since Edwin Nii Lante Vanderpuye took over as Minister for Youth and Sports, the Ghana Football Association (GFA) has had several issues with him regarding their operations and the conduct of business. Its no secret that all Ghanaians are aware that the GFA has not been transparent and when it comes to accountability they are very economical with the truth. The GFA has been rude, disrespectful and insulting the minister for very simple issues. Under previous ministers, the leadership has had their way and the only minister who dare them was, Dr Mustapha Ahmed whom they managed to have him removed.
The Greater Regional FA Chairman Nii Kommey is the first to go on radio to insult Nii Lante Vanderjuye because he asked them to justify why they should receive winning bonuses after matches, This is because, their accommodation ,food and per diem are all catered for so what else is due them, but in recent past both the management and ministers alike collected the bonuses so it has become a norm. Next was Winfred Osei Palmer who as a vice chairman of the Black Stars Management committee, also took a swipe at the minister for the same reason and finally Kojo Yankah, the Western Regional Representative of the GFA has cast slur at Mr Vanderpuye.
This so called toothless and worthless, Parliamentary Select Committee on Sports has been inactive while these irresponsible GFA members insult their colleague for taking a bold decision to save Ghana and the tax payer some money to develop the other sporting disciplines?
Were these members of the select committee around during the Brazil 2014 when players of the Black Stars refused to talk to the President John Mahama unless they received their appearance fees, forcing the president to disgrace and embarrass the country by airlifting almost $4 million in a chartered plane to Brazil.
Can these dishonorables members remember the revelations at the Presidential Commission,where the GFA President refused to disclosed how he disbursed the over $575.000 among the management members including the late Jordan Anagbla whose name appeared on his list. He has been dead in 2012. Two years after the fact. The Commission report recommended emphatically that the current Vice president of the GFA and currently the Chairman of the Black Stars George Afriyie should not near any of the national team, yet don’t we see him all over holding press conferences on behalf of the team?
Is the committee aware that the management of the Black Stars collect a lot of unaccountable money to use as unclassified and indemnity. Can they arise from their slumber of sleep and partisanship and be the oversight committee. They have supervised such wanton dissipation of funds and corruption at the GFA for a long time. Its about time someone is bold and tell them that they are worthless.lack integrity and intelligent without any apology.
Recently, when there seem to be tension between the Minister and the GFA leadership , the minister took a firm stand not to released money to bribe officials during the Under 23 match against Senegal at the Cape Coast Stadium, that is when they came out to try to solve the impass. The most disgraceful members of the committee are the opposition ranking member on sports, Isaac Asiamah who from some sources has started lobbying to become the Sports Minister should Nana Akuffo Addo win the 2016 elections and Kwadwo Baah Agyeman who has been sleeping all this while only to wake up from his Trazodone sleeping pill. They have not been able to call the GFA to order in a day.
The latest of their strain relationship, heightened when the minister suggested to the management of the team to save the country money by using local players because Ghana’s match with Rwanda was for academic exercise since, win, lose or draw we have already qualified for AFCON 2017, this will also to give the local players opportunity to justify themselves and fight for position in the Black Stars. This suggestion did not go down well with the coach Avram Grant, Management of the team and the Communication Director at the GFA Sanni Daara who took the minister to the cleaners in his bid to save the country money and encourage the local players. Select Committee where were you. The FA president himself referred to the minister as serial caller. Did they questioned when a player turned politician volunteer to purchased plane tickets for our players, who call themselves professionals and were plying their trade abroad yet someone should buy them a ticket. This player is following the footsteps of his father. These committee members have not questioned why the team has not won a trophy in the last 10 years of Kwesi Nyantekyi administration despite the huge investment.
Have they question, why the Black Stars coach has not followed through with tenets of his contract to stay in Ghana and run clinics for our local coaches and at least discover and develop one local player. Avram Grant’s monthly salary is $52.000 a month, resides in Penta House at the cost of $1,200.00 a night and gets double the bonus the players receive. The coach has not lived in Ghana for at least 6 months out of his 2 year contract with Ghana. After every match he leaves with the excuse to monitor players abroad instead of discovering one. He solely depend on the so called professional including Asamoah Gyan who is a dead horse. They are really worthless .
Are they aware of the permutations of the league matches results as well as bad officiating which has rendered the league unattractive and without an headline sponsor and when the minister made mention of it all the GFA members descended on him like he has committed a crime . These wicked and unpatriotic parliamentarians of the select committee should be mindful and knowledgable that, Nii Lante has been in sports as a person and in management position as well, so he knows what is going in Ghana sport .
I expected the committee to have reason with the position of the minister for Ghana,if they had integrity and intelligent and not concerning themselves with the strain relationship between the FA and the Minister when the ordinary man on the street in Ghana knows the Ghana FA have mismanaged the sports. Colts is completely dead. Other sports disciplines require only what a Black Stars player and a management member gets as a winning bonus to participate in international competition. Were are the members of the committee. The select committee are a disgraced to themselves
The select committee should have ensured that the standard of the league is high, according to the professionalism around the world. Instead of only concerning themselves with a strain relationship between the minister and the GFA Most leagues have standards and sponsors which ensures players are adequately paid among other things. They disciplinary committee is influenced by the number of
friends you have in the executive committee.
I will emphasized here again that none of the members of the committee deserved to be called honorable because they are not and they are toothless and worthless committee.
I feel embarrassed that the select committee will ideal around while $750.000 from Super Sports is misused by the leadership of the GFA. The arrangement the club owner of Wa All Stars and the President of the GFA made with the 16 clubs of the Premier League was that, he was going to advance them $10,000 each and when the actual disbursement is finalized the GFA will make up for the rest. It turned out that the GFA secretariat took their portion and told the rest of Ghanaians that remaining amount of over $600,000 was used to pay officiating fees. Meanwhile the Ghana Referees Association (RFA) is demanding payment for officiating the second round of the just ended Premier league. These shameful so call Parliamentarians of the Select Sports committee. Are you living in the country called Ghana. This is a day light robbery of the Ghanaian clubs by someone with conflict of interest. I partially blame the club owners because some of them have the money to form the clubs but lack the managerial aspect of running a club. The few who have the knowledge and ability have been compromised with certain positions within the executives
I commend the Minister of Youth and Sports for trying to use the national security apparatus to investigate the numerous allegations of match fixing and bribery in the just ended local league to bring some sanity into the program. More grease to your elbow if the oversight committee are sleeping on the job.
Again I will call you Parliamentary Select Committee on Sports Worthless and toothless.