Chairmanship Of FA Not On Silver-Platter ? Butler

Nana Sam Brew-Butler, a former chairman of the Ghana Football Association (GFA) Management Board, has warned that a non-competitive election for the next GFA chairman could pose a problem for the elected chairman?s authority.

He decried the recent trend during polls where one of two government nominees withdraws at the eleventh hour for the other candidate to be automatically elected, while the other nominee becomes a member of the board.

Nana Butler, also the Board Chairman of Cape Coast Ebusua Dwarfs, gave the cautionary reminder last Wednesday during the official opening of GHALCA?s new secretariat at the Accra Sports Stadium.Nicknamed ?Mr Thick Skin? for his toughness, he advised that ?a competitive election is a must?, as it ?strengthens the hand of the winner ? the GFA chairman ? that he has the unflinching support of the electorate?.

?The GFA constitution does not recognise acclamation in our electoral process, hence even if there is only one candidate he should be subjected to an election to test his approval rating,? advised Nana Butler, who was GFA Chairman between 1993 and 1997.

His concern, he said, stemmed from a report in last Tuesday?s Graphic Sports, which indicated that Dr Kofi Amoah, tipped to be one of the government?s nominees for the GFA top job, will step down for the other candidate, Dr Kwame Nyaho-Tamakloe, to sail through easily when the association goes to the polls in the coming weeks.

Incidentally, Dr Nyaho-Tamakloe was one of many dignitaries present at the function when the one-time GHALCA chairman stirred the hornet?s nest. Others present included GFA Chairman Mr Ben Koufie, Mr Albert Agboso, the acting Chief Executive of the National Sports Council, who officially opened the secretariat; GFA Executive Council boss Mr Y.A. Ibrahim and GHALCA stalwarts , Messrs J.Y. Appiah, Jones Ahassan-Abu , Kudjoe Fianoo, Antwi Gyamfi, Abra Appiah and Maj (rtd) Yaw Larson.

Since Nana Butler?s exit from the country?s soccer governing body, a spate of ?withrawal syndrome? has characterised subsequent GFA elections. In 1997, Oheneba Charles Nyarko stepped down at the eleventh hour to pave the way for Alhaji M.N.D. Jawula to become GFA Chairman.

Four years later, Abedi Ayew Pele drew a leaf from the previous election and also withdrew for Mr Koufie to ascend to the throne. Even if Dr Amoah withdraws as speculated, Dr. Nyaho-Tamakloe may not have an easy ride.

Information pieced together by the Graphic Sports indicates that some GHALCA members within the GFA Executive Council, the body authorised to elect the GFA Chairman, do not approve of the two nominees. They therefore plan to give them a ?hard time? at the polls.

One famous dissenting voice in the Council, who spoke to this paper on condition of anonimity, argued that Dr. Amoah has very little experience in football management, while Dr. Nyaho-Tamakloe, a former chairman of Accra Hearts of Oak in the 1980s, has been out of mainstream football management for a long time and would be out of touch with the real issues confronting the sport.

While the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports seriously lobbies the major players within the Executive Council in order for the two nominees to gain the necessary approval and avoid any rancour on the D-day, some legal brains have argued that the council has no constitutional right to reject any of the government?s candidates.