Press Release of the Alliance For Responsible Opposition

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ALLIANCE FOR RESPONSIBLE OPPOSITION (AFRO)

PUBLIC STATEMENT:

REACTION TO THE PRESS CONFERENCE ADDRESSED BY EBO-QUANSAH

THE leadership of the Alliance for Responsible Opposition (AFRO) presents its

response to the address by Mr. Ebo Quansah, former president of the Sports

Writers Association of Ghana (SWAG), at a press briefing in Accra last

Wednesday, defending his letter (dated 25th September 2010) to the president of

the World Football Governing Body, FIFA, protesting the legitimate

responsibility of the government of Ghana to enforce financial accountability in

the country’s sports administration.

Ebo Quansah made history by his defence of the most corrupt regime in Ghana’s

sports administration.

His insistence that the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) has no right to investigate

officers of the Ghana Football Association for financial crimes is a scandal

that demonstrates how monetary enticements, spiritual bankruptcy, lack of

patriotic will and partisan political allegiance can enforce an arrogant and

desperate determination to insulate officials of Ghana Football Association from

public accountability.

Ebo Quansah’s letter to FIFA illustrates a mischievous intent to undermine the

authority of the President and ultimately defend corrupt practices by the

current administrators of the GFA led by Kwesi Nyantakyi. It also betrays lack

of public support for his motives; necessitating his appeal to external

influence.

Government’s involvement in sports is necessary for the protection of the

public interest. The GFA cloaks itself under certain regulations and statutes

which seem to imply that the administrators live in their own country and their

own laws.

Mr. Ebo Quansah’s basic assumption that the Government and people of Ghana have

no mandate to investigate and audit the finances of the Ghana Football

Association (GFA) and the Ghana Olympic Committee is baseless, as much as it is

shameless and infantile.

Investigations by the Serious Fraud Office into the dealings of Ghana Football

Association cannot constitute “harassment” as stated in Ebo Quansah’s letter to

FIFA.

The request by the Serious Fraud Office to the president of the GFA, Mr. Kofi

Nyantakyi to “to give information on Issues concerning the 2010 World Cup”

participation by the Black Stars is lawful and rightful in every way; so as the

mandate to scrutinise the membership of the management committees of the

national football teams.

The national teams are the properties of the people of Ghana. They are not the

property of any private entity. They are supported by government funds. Grants

by FIFA to our national teams are first and foremost public funds for the

development of the sport. Government has the mandate to protect the public purse

and to influence the management of national teams. Thus government has the right

to investigate financial matters surrounding the 2006 and 2010 Black Stars world

cup participation.

AFRO asserts that Government has the legitimate right and interest to ensure

sanity in sports administration. It has the constitutional and popular mandate

to promote sports for the cultural advancement of the people of Ghana. The

Ghanaian public through its taxes finances the construction of stadia, the

sponsoring of national teams and the guaranteeing of basic conditions for sports

development.

At our maiden press briefing in Accra on Wednesday 6th October we clearly

demonstrated our strong determination to defend the sovereign will of Ghana and

the public good by serious interrogation of opposition parties and movements. We

showed clearly how the culture of irresponsible opposition to government

decisions poses a veritable threat to the well being of the country especially

on Government’s policy to ensure financial accountability of public officials.

Particular mention was made of the opposition to Government decision to

investigate the back door EO deal that rewarded colleagues of ex-president

Kuffuor with the rape of 3.5% stake in Ghana’s infant oil industry with the

provocative explanation of ‘consultancy services’

The Globacom sponsorship that allowed Mid-Sea ltd a front company of the

officials of the GFA to earn as much as $1.5 million in five years is no

different from the EO Group scandal.

It is clear that Abraham Boakye (one man supporter), foremost patron of Ghanaian

football, initiated the decisive introductory processes that secured the

Globacom sponsorship, doing so purely on patriotic grounds. But what is yet to

be explained is the rational and necessity in ‘employing’ an agent at a cost of

10% of the total package after the deal had been concluded.

What was the need for an agent? GFA had all the technical and managerial

expertise to enforce that transaction!

Midsea Ltd by its own admission has absolutely no experience in sports

sponsorship or anything in relation to sports marketing and promotion. It deals

in construction, trading, import and export.

This illustrates clearly the character of the men in control of the

administration of football in this country and justifies the response of Mills

administration to take serious measures to protect the public interest.

If the officials of the Ghana Football Association have nothing to hide why are

they running from accountability? Why are they undermining the institution of

the Public Interest Committee?

AFRO has taken a critical note of the practice of labelling the mere

investigation of corrupt officials as political vendetta as mentioned in Ebo

Quansah’s letter. The practice were corrupt persons mobilize partisan political

loyalty against lawful measures of accountability is a threat to national

progress and development.

AFRO at its initial press briefing noted with regret the resurfacing of the

phenomenon where forces opposed to decisions of the lawful leadership of Ghana

seek the intervention of foreign powers to subvert the national will as was

the case of the Danquah-Busia opposition to the progressive regime of Dr. Kwame

Nkrumah. Ebo Quansah’s actions have been consistent with the general response

and outlook of the New Patriotic Party to the anti-corruption policy of

government. His appeal to FIFA is no different from the mobilization of key

donor countries by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to impede the effort of

government to investigate the EO Group scandal and to defend national economic

interest.

The silence of Ghanaian opposition political parties, notably the New Patriotic

Party and its allied organs such as the Alliance for Accountable Governance

(AFAG) on this matter is inconsistent with their publicly stated aims against

corruption.Those forces that have recklessly dragged public officials to the

Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) on the least and

most trivial suspicion of corruption must come out loudest and clearest against

the indiscretions of Ebo Quansah and his backers. This is particularly necessary

considering that Ebo Quansah is a key activist of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).

AFRO calls on opposition party leaders to put aside partisan considerations and

support the decision of state agencies to investigate the financial dealings of

the Ghana Football Association.

We wish to express our gratitude to the media for its cooperation with AFRO and

take opportunity to announce our intention to hold a public forum on three main

issues: CONFLICTS IN SPORTS ADMINISTRATION; SALE OF STATE LANDS; AND THE OIL

INDUSTRY (EO/KOSMOS/KUFUOR SAGA); On Wednesday 27th October 2010 at the GNAT

(Teachers) Hall in Accra.

But for the meanwhile, Kofi Nyantakyi, Fred Pappoe, Kofi Nsia, Randy Abbey and

other officials of the GFA must erect a monument in honour of Ebo Quansah: FOR

THE DEFENCE OF THE INDEFENCIBLE.

ISSUED IN ACCRA, 18th OCTOBER 2010.

Signed:

COORDINATOR

CONVENER PRESS SECRETARY

(LORD KORANTENG HAMAH) (BEN AKYENA BRANTUO)

(FORTUNATE ANUGA)

0285026618

0244825187 0547066130

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Email: afroghana.ghana@yahoo.com