'Football age is not for footballers only' – Prof Mensah reacts to confusion over GRA boss’ age

Prof Kobby Mensah, a senior lecturer at the University of Ghana, has reacted to the drama that unfolded about the age of the Commissioner-General of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), Rev. Dr. Ammishaddai Adu Owusu-Amoah, at the parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) sitting on Monday, January 30, 2024.

Minority and Majority Caucus legislators clashed over a question on the age of Rev. Dr. Ammishaddai Adu Owusu-Amoah, by the Member of Parliament (MP)

for Ningo-Prampram, Sam Nartey George.

The Majority, led by the MP for Mpraeso, Davis Opoku, said that the GRA boss cannot be forced to disclose his age because it was a personal issue.

His position was backed by the Deputy Minister of Finance and MP for Atiwa East, Abena Osei Asare, who maintained that the matter was a personal matter.

The Minority, led the MP for Ketu North and Chairman of PAC, James Klutse Avedzi, overruled the objection; saying the age of the GRA commissioner cannot be a personnel matter because he is a public servant.

After minutes of back and forth, Rev. Dr. Ammishaddai Owusu-Amoah eventually answered the question, admitting that he turned “62 in October 2023.”

This means that he has been at post for about 3 years without any verifiable contract extension by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo as required by law.

Reacting to this in a post shared on X on Monday, Prof Mensah said that this shows that it is not only in football that people are economical with the truth when it comes to their age.

He said that the term ‘football age’ is now not only for footballers.

“Football age is not for footballers only Dr. ABC,” the academic wrote on X.

Football age involves the fabrication of one's age or the use of false documentation to gain an advantage over opponents, and is usually a thing in African football.

View Prof Mensah’s post below:

Football age is not for footballers only Dr. ABC @cbagyemang ???? https://t.co/rYnlUysONN

— Prof. Kobby Mensah (@thePOE_T) January 29, 2024