Ceasefire - Boxing Promoter advices feuding parties

Accra, April 27, GNA - Al Hamilton, Chairman of the Commonwealth Sports Awards and a Boxing Promoter has called on feuding parties in the on-going fracas in the Ghana Boxing Authority (GBA) to cease fire and allow the due process of the law to take its due course.

Hamilton said he believes if care is not taken, the ongoing crisis will have serious repercussions on the GBA, especially with regards to its drive for corporate sponsorship if the issue should continue. The Chairman told the GNA Sports that, "The sport is gradually making headway with its sponsorship and any attempt to bring confusion at this stage will definitely rock the boat with all the gains so far made going down the drain.

"There is the need to protect what we have at the moment by maintaining a very positive image for the sport and the GBA, but not to engage in acts that will make the corporate world loose confidence in us".

Hamilton therefore said all feuding parties must patiently wait for the passage of the National Sports Bill as directed by Mr Osei Bonsu Amoah, Deputy Minister of Education, Science and Sports at a peace meeting held three weeks ago.

According to Hamilton both parties are entitled to their opinions but they must not use any means apart from the due process to put their case across.

"The Sports Bill has solutions to all the problems and I believe the best thing to do at the moment is to wait for its implementation". Hamilton said with the passage of the Bill, stakeholders calling for change will be provided with the platform to canvas for the needed changes through proper elections.

He therefore called on all aggrieved parties to put a stop to the on going media war and return to the table for amicable arbitration and arriving at logical solutions to the impasse. "We cannot continue to wash our dirty linen in public and expect to gain public confidence and trust".

Moses Foh-Amoaning, Chairman of the GBA has been on the defensive recently following calls by sections of the stakeholders for his removal from office.

He has been accused of dictatorship, lack of transparency and financial malpractices amongst others, but maintains that he is innocent of the accusations and that he has rather contributed immensely to the progress of the GBA. 27 April 07