Opinions of Thursday, 18 January 2018
Columnist: Tony Pobee-Mensah
Mr. President, do Ghana a favour and have Ghana at heart. It is utterly irresponsible for you to say that it is not your responsibility to fight corruption at GFA. Are you trying to say that if there is blatant corruption, you will sit back and watch? Let me give you a clue: America shook up FIFA and they are looking to put Sepp Blatter in jail for corruption. Do you think US Soccer did that? No, US government did that, and African football is big in FIFA.
Nigeria had a problem with their football association and the government stepped in to clean it out. FIFA suspended them, and where is Nigeria today; on their way to Russia? Sometimes it takes a leader to set things right, and along the way, you take your licks if you must.
Ghana has had a series of problems in recent years not the least of which is Ghana government hauling millions of dollars to Brazil to meet the demand of the players so they would continue playing in the World Cup. Just the Brazil debacle suggests that someone ought to step in and set things right. Obviously Kwesi Nyantakyi is not doing it. We had a blatant thievery in South Africa and no one spoke for us. If that Suarez hand ball had happened to America, FIFA would be very different; at least the rules. When the Black Stars go out to play, they take our emotions with them. Who is there to protect our emotions if those we have elected abdicate from responsibility? Times like this make you call out loud for Kwame Nkrumah.
Since Brazil, it has been very clear that GHANA, not GFA alone needs to have a process of disciplining our players that does not cast aside our best players permanently thereby cutting our noses to spite our faces. GFA has not come out with any kind of process and there has not been a leader who has stepped in to resolve this problem even if the leader does it behind the scenes. Ghana has suffered through this lack of leadership. This lack of leadership has washed and wrung out our emotions over and over again; the latest being Ghana not qualifying for Russia, and then to top it all, our President coming out to say he is not responsible for corruption at GFA?
WHO IS, Mr. President? I think we deserve a leader not a manager and so far, I have not seen a leader. I have seen many who called themselves leaders who just went where the wind blew until their terms ended. Is it so hard to find a leader in Ghana? Please lead or at least make believe you are leading and stop making such shameful utterances.