FIFA gave us the clearance to probe 'coefficient' GFA - Koku Anyidoho

Former president of the Federation of International Football Association (FIFA) Sepp Blatter gave the Mills government the clearance to probe the Ghana Football Association, Kweku Anyidoho has revealed.

The Deputy General Secretary of the NDC disclosed in an interview with Kwabena Kyenkyenhene Boateng on “21 minutes with KKB” that the former FIFA President gave the late President Mills and his government the permission to investigate the FA.

“We visited the headquarters of FIFA in Zurich, Switzerland and had a chat with Sepp Blatter. He made it clear to us that FIFA does not support corruption and FIFA accepts the fact that FA’s operate within laws of countries. What FIFA frowns upon is direct interference on the FA by the government. But FIFA does not say that you cannot investigate football associations.

Why the probe did not happen

An intervention by then Vice President, John Dramani Mahama prevented some members of the Mills government from probing into activities of the Ghana Football Association, Kweku Anyidoho has revealed.

Koku Anyidoho recalled in an interview with Kwabena Kyenkyenhene Boateng on “21 minutes with KKB” how John Mahama intervened at the last minute to prevent some officials of the Mills government including former Sports Minister, Nii Lante Vanderpuye, Kojo Bonsu and Kojo Twum Boafo from conducting investigations into alleged financial malfeasance at GFA.

Citing an example to back his claim that the then vice president was not sidelined in the Mills administration, Koku Anyidoho revealed that upon assumption of office in 2008, some sports enthusiasts in the government who were not impressed with how the GFA handled its financial issues planned of launching an inquest into activities of the association but an order from John Mahama thwarted their mission.

"There was a typical issue that had to do with Kwesi Nyantakyi and the GFA. And some of us sports enthusiasts like Nii Lante, Kojo Bonsu, Kojo Twum Boafo at the time we thought that Kwesi Nyantakyi was doing something wrong and having come into power we needed to go into the FA as a government but I think somehow Kwesi Nyantakyi found his way to the Vice President John Mahama and the Vice President had a chat with President Mills. So the president asked us his boys to slow down on Nyantakyi”, he revealed.

Koku Anyidoho bemoaned the situation where GFA takes money from the government to cater for the national teams but fail to account for it.

“We thought that we had to look into GFA matters. This business where government is sponsoring football yet we can’t look into their affairs to me is quizzy. You heard about co-efficient… Come and render account you say coefficient… the coefficient has to be looked into. They should explain it to us” he insisted.