From Promises to Silence: A look at Kurt Okraku’s 2019 Manifesto after six and a half years

When Kurt Edwin Simeon-Okraku was elected president of the Ghana Football Association in 2019, he promised a new era for Ghana football under the slogan, “Igniting Passion, Creating Wealth for All.”

His manifesto laid out ambitious plans to transform clubs, strengthen the Ghana Premier League and build a sustainable football ecosystem.

Six and a half years later, Ghana football is instead facing difficult questions.

The Black Stars have exited yet another major tournament without convincing performances, while the domestic league has become synonymous with financial struggles, insecurity and declining public confidence.

At a time when accountability has become unavoidable, the promises made in 2019 deserve to be measured against today’s reality.

Upgrade Club Training Facilities

One of the flagship promises was to upgrade Premier League clubs’ training pitches and install boreholes to help maintain them.

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Yet many clubs continue to train on poor surfaces, with infrastructure remaining one of the biggest obstacles to player development.

No Autonomous Premier League

Kurt Okraku promised an autonomous Ghana Premier League that would focus solely on growing the competition commercially and professionally.

Six and a half years later, the league remains under the same structure, with no autonomous body in place.

No League Title Sponsor

A commercially attractive league was another key pledge. In pursuit of that goal, he secured a headline sponsorship deal with betPawa. However, for reasons that were never fully explained, the company later ended its partnership with the league.

Now, the Ghana Premier League has gone years without a headline sponsor, depriving clubs of much-needed revenue and reducing the competition’s commercial appeal.

No Free Internet for Clubs

The manifesto promised free internet facilities for every Premier League club secretariat to improve administration. That intervention has never materialised.

No Access to the World Cup Benefits Fund

Clubs were assured they would receive 35 percent of the World Cup Benefit Fund to support their operations. There has been no evidence of clubs accessing that promised support.

No Medical Fund for Clubs

Another commitment was access to a dedicated Medical Fund to improve player welfare. Clubs are still largely left to shoulder medical expenses on their own.

The League Has Become a Symbol of Crisis

Beyond the unfulfilled promises, the state of the competition itself raises even greater concern.

The 2024/25 season was overshadowed by the fatal stabbing of Asante Kotoko supporter Francis “Nana Pooley” Frimpong during crowd violence at Nsoatre, an incident that forced the suspension of the league and eventually led to Nsoatreman FC withdrawing from the competition over security concerns.

The 2025/26 season brought fresh tragedy. Aduana Stars players were attacked by armed robbers while returning from a league match, and 20-year-old forward Dominic Frimpong was shot and killed.

When supporters are dying, players are being killed on the roads, clubs are withdrawing from the league and the competition continues without the structural reforms that were promised, the conversation can no longer be about excuses.

Leadership is ultimately judged by delivery, not declarations.

Six and a half years after Kurt Okraku asked the football family to trust his vision, Ghana football has every right to demand answers.

The manifesto promised transformation. The reality demands accountability.

FKA/JE

Meanwhile watch the jubilations as Brazil lose 1 2 to Norway