Jerome’s Take: When is the GFA election?

Respectfully, please immediately dismiss Albert Commey’s position that journalists are not members of the Ghana Football Association (GFA), so we cannot criticise but only comment on their decisions. That is not the official position of the FA, thus, without any disrespect to the messenger, the message must quickly be dispatched into the bin.

For, no one tells the media what must be on our editorial table when we dine with our audience. In fact, no one determines for the Kurt administration what it does. Even if the media pretend to instruct them, they still to do what they deem fit. What authority has anyone then to counsel the media on our editorial judgement?

Luv FM’s Dela Atiase legitimately questioned the unreasonably high election nomination fees proposed by the FA for their presidential aspirants. From GHS5,000 in 2019 to GHS50,000 in 2023 (900 percent increase) cannot fly from the FA secretariat in Accra to Kumasi without media scrutiny. We will be failing our respective audiences.

If our reviews irk anyone, it is likely that person disregards public interest in our football. The stakeholder role of the public in our football, often championed by the media, must not be taken for granted lest we assume that our football can thrive without fans.

When is the GFA election such that, nomination fees have been proposed for Congress’ approval with no election roadmap? I admire New Edubiase United’s letter, which amongst  others draws the FA’s attention to likely breaches of their statutes.

“As stipulated in the Article 32(2)(q) of the GFA Statutes, the inclusion of the Election of President in the agenda of an Ordinary Congress is mandatory” states Edubiase’s letter. But conspicuously missing from the agenda sent to its members is the mandatory provision thus raising strong suspicions of shadiness.

Edubiase ask then: “If the GFA intends not to hold the elections this year, when it does it intend to do so?” Assigns within the corridors of power at the FA are labelling Edubiase’s letter as one from “opposition camp”. That alone affirms the divisive, unhealthy political seed sown by this administration, which is a worry to some members and many fans.

The administration does not seem bothered. In all Edubiase raise disconcerting matters of abuse of power, corruption at the secretariat, mis-governance, and deception of members; clandestine coercion of members to sign documents to amend Articles 31 and 32 of their statues; delay, and lack of clarity on election timelines, etc.

In just four years, why would you secretly collect signatures to amend a mandatory section of your statutes as Edubiase allege? If you have governed your association and Ghana football satisfactorily, why would you fret about election? For a leadership that assumed power following the collapse of the football establishment by Anas’s corruption expose #12, expectation was that we would see a unifying, productive and progressive path for Ghana football.

Continuous education of coaches, grooming of teenage referees, construction of boreholes at patched pitches, etc. may be positives. But when these have been overshadowed by brazen acts of nepotistic, conflict of interest-ridden appointments, bitterly dividing members by ignoring their concerns, largely unattractive domestic leagues, low investment drive in club football, unduly influencing national team selection coupled with major failures at international tournament by our national teams; fans would not fall for self-satisfying re-election stunts.

If the administration has led satisfactorily, let them be open about the election to their own members. The public is watching and will always be around to judge.

Credit: Jerome Otchere