I have a good relationship with Palmer, George Afriyie – Kurt Okraku

Contrary to assertions that he has rifts with defeated George Afriyie and Osei Kwaku Palmer, president of the Ghana Football Association (GFA) says there exists no bad blood between him and the aforementioned persons.

Kurt Okraku floored George Afriyie in last year’s GFA elections while Osei Kwaku Palmer was prevented from contesting the elections after being found guilty of breaching some of the association’s ethics.

In various media engagements, the two men have accused Kurt Okraku of doing little to unite the football family after the elections.

According to Palmer attempts to reach Okraku since he became GFA elections have ended in futility.

Afriyie also contends that the division that existed in the industry prior to the elections has been deepened by Okraku’s vindictiveness.

Okraku in an interview with ghanaweb.com referred to the two administrators as ‘brothers’ and denied the claims made against him.

“We are honest people and I expect everyone I come across to be the same. I have very good relationship with everybody. My brother, Palmer, George Afriyie, Nana Yaw Amponsah, Adomako and Amanda. There is nobody I don’t speak with it. Perhaps we don’t speak daily but we do engage and there are times we’ve crossed over to help ourselves”.

“We do differ on opinion at times but I have said on numerous occasions that we need everybody. I cannot pretend that I know everything connected to the sport but everybody has special qualities and since the almighty God has blessed each one of us differently. It is important as a leader you harness the quality and potential of everybody”.

Kurt also shot down suggestions persons who belonged to the camp of his opponents have been sidelined from his administration. Kurt conceded not to have offered any frontal role to Afriyie or Palmer but said some members of their camp are occupying positions in his administration.

He denied running a close-knit administration where only friends get to serve on committees.

“We’ve been in office for seven months and we have three years to go. Some of them have already played roles. I don’t think there is any group that contested this election that are not directly involved in the management. It’s either the candidate is serving or campaign manager or chairman is serving”.