Angry GFA stakeholders attack FIFA 'intellectual inadequacy' over amendments claims

Some members of the Ghana FA congress have launched a laser-guided attack at FIFA insisting that the world governing body wants to hijack and micromanage the administration of the game in the country after the Swiss-body said amendments to the statues of the GFA must be prorogued. 

The chairman of the Brong Ahafo Regional Football Association, Ralph Gyamberah, with the backing of more than 40 members of the GFA Congress, slammed the 'folly and intellectual inadequacy' of the FIFA claim in a strongly-worded letter, denouncing the world body's claims that the GFA statutes cannot be amended during Tuesday's Congress.

Gyambera is leading some members of the GFA congress to seek over 40 amendments to the statutes of the federation made just eight months ago saying it is inimical to the development of the game in the country.

Veron Mosengo-Omba, Chief Member Associations Officer of FIFA, ordered the GFA to postpone to a future date the process of amending large portions of the 2019 Statutes after the federation asked for guidance whether it could entertain such amendments at Tuesday's congress.

The response from Mosengo-Omba touched on the proposal to expand the Congress and the GFA's Executive Council from 11 to 18 members claiming it would affect the efficiency of decision-making while reminding members of art 81(6) requires Division One League (DOL) representation to Congress be reduced from 48-18.

But Gyamberah hit back by claiming that the size of each Congress and ExCo is determined by ‘Congress of each MA.' citing a long list of examples of the composition of such bodies in various federations across the globe to buttress his point.

"Increasing the number of GFA Congress and ExCo to 132 and 18 respectively is not out of the ‘ordinary’. “…we find the recent letter of FIFA signed by Veron Mosengo-Omba a subtle attempt to undermine the clear and unambiguous stipulations of article 15(1), 32 and 34 of the GFA Statutes,” Gyambrah wrote in a letter to the FIFA General Secretary Fatma Samoura.

“A qualitative analysis of the data sizes of Congresses and Executive Councils of respective countries irresistibly point out the folly and intellectual inadequacy of the position espoused by Veron Mosengo-Omba in the FIFA letter.

“A cursory look at the Congresses and Executive Councils of analogous Federations as the GFA sharply exposes the poor basis and inherent contradiction in the unsubstantiated analysis contained in the FIFA letter. Cameroon Football Federation has 91 delegates, the Executive Council has 17 members.

“…Cote d’Ivoire has 130 delegates for its Congress with an Executive Council of 20. Kenya has 88 delegates for its Congress with 15 on its Executive Committee. Uganda has 88 delegates with 13 members on its Executive Committee. Togo has 54 delegates at its Congress with a 12-member Executive Committee.

“South Africa Football Association has 189 delegates at Congress with a 23-member Executive Committee. In Europe, Spain has 180 delegates at Congress with 18-Executive Committee. Italy has 288 at its Congress with 56-member Executive Committee. France has 254 delegates at its Congress with a 21-member Executive Committee.

Gyamberah added that ‘FIFA has no benchmark or yardstick for determining sizes of Congresses and Executive Councils of MAs.’ pointing out to Article 14(1(f) of the FIFA statutes as federations having the rights to ratify their respective statutes that are in line with FIFA requirements.

Gyamberah, in the concluding part of his letter to Madam Samoura said the ‘overbearing hand of FIFA to issue instructions’ is contrary to the world governing body's statutes as 'FIFA statutes do not intend to clothe with powers to engage in the micro-management of MAs, but that’s exactly what Mr Veron’s letter seeks to achieve.

He added the FIFA letter is ‘complete interference of the autonomy and the independence of the legislative function of the GFA Congress in clear breach of Article 19(1) of the FIFA statutes and 5(3) of the GFA statutes.”

"The GFA is independent and shall remain independent from political interference from third parties.

“The categorical directive to the GFA Congress to prorogue discussions on [the] amendment of its statutes, is with respect, out of order.” the letter concluded.

The angry members of the GFA believe the world governing body tricked them into accepting the 2019 Statutes which was initially rejected by Congress on the same grounds as it is being asked by now.

Ghana football is set for tricky few days ahead as Tuesday's Congress is already subject of a court injunction by Techiman City who say the Executive Council has violated its own statutes.

The GFA is also awaiting the verdict of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) on Tuesday over the disqualification of Wilfred Osei Kwaku 'Palmer' from the presidential race last year.