Honourable Kwadwo Baah Agyemang, a member of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Sports and Culture has hinted that Parliament will resolve the impasse between the Ministry of Youth and Sports and the Ghana Football Association if they are approached, insisting the sour relationship is not good for the country.
He advised the two bodies to amicably solve the ongoing impasse between them rather than accusing themselves media even before Parliament comes in.
Upon assuming office as the Ministerof Youth and Sports, Nii Lante Vanderpuye has publicly demonstrated his dislike for the Ghana FA by pitching it against other federations.
The new Sports Minister has slashed the winning bonus of the Black Stars from $10, 000 to $8, 000.
He also said publicly that he will not give out any complementary tickets to any FA member compelling Executive Committee members of the federation to buy tickets to watch the 2017 AFCON clash with Mozambique at the Accra Sports Stadium.
He also granted permission to fans to join a chartered flight by the Ministry for the clash against Mozambique and turned around accusing the FA for allowing the fans boarding permission.
Despite all these, the Sports Minister in a recent public address at the University of Ghana insisted that football is not the passion of the nation as has been the notion and that he will fight for the other federations to receive the needed attention.
The latest impasse was when the Minister came out publicly to say that the FA demanded him to endorse something in other to aid the U-20 team to qualify of the African Youth Championship that will be staged in Zambia but he refused to do what the FA was demanding after a management member accused the minister for not helping the team to qualify.
With these decisions taken by the Sports Minister, and with no official statement by the Ghana FA, his position has become clear with regards to the football federation.
But the Asante Akyem North legislator gave the indication that the parliamentary Select Committee on Youth and Sports and the Chief of Staff could help bring an end to the crisis if called upon.
Speaking to Accra based Class FM, Kwadwo Baah said, “If you have an issue, it shouldn’t be in the media. That’s why we are managers and administrators; we solve our issues on the desk and not come out and be throwing our hands in despair as if there is no solution.”
“If the Sports Ministry has an issue with the FA or the other way round, they can approach the Chief of Staff because he works on such issues every day, or better still, the Parliamentary Select Committee on Youth and Sports. That’s why we are there.
Mr. Agyemang disclosed that some members of the GFA were considering withdrawing from the various national teams as a result of the impasse, a situation he said could have dire consequences on the country’s football.
“I have been speaking with some members of the FA and can confirm that they are truly considering withdrawing their services from all the national teams.
“If we don’t take care, these petty issues will have a general effect on our football and may even affect our chances of qualifying for the World Cup in Russia in 2018,” he noted.
By: Sheikh Tophic Sienu @desheikh1 on twitter
Comments