Why I resigned as Hearts of Oak's MD - General Ankrah

The Managing Director of Accra Hearts of Oak, Gerald Ankrah, last Monday handed in his resignation in a drama that insiders say is the result of frustrations he has endured in the last months of his tenure.

Gerald’s bomshell coming few hours before a scheduled board meeting of the club last Monday has been described by a source close to the club as “something that was expected long before he handed in his resignation”.

He disclosed that a myriad of problems were weighing heavily on the former MD that militated against his day- today functions as the manager of the club.

“This is one MD constantly feeling humiliated by happenings at the board, before his players, as well as the supporters.”

“Until his resignation, Gerald had not been paid for almost six months together with his staff at the office.

“The worst of it all was that he operated without common imprest, a fact that conspired against his efforts to sign players such as goalkeepers Ernest Sowah, Stephen Adams and Latif Salifu.”

“We’ve moved from the days when the chairman of the club shared the responsibility of meeting the day-to-day cost of running the club, this time the one in charge is on salary’’, he argued.

The source further disclosed that the formation of a Strategic Committee last year to run the club in which Gerald was relegated to the position of secretary finally pushed him into taking the decision.

Meanwhile, keen followers of the club are worried about the number of resignations of Phobian personnel in recent times. The list, which appears endless, included Albert Commey, a former Public Relations Officer (PRO), Ashford Tettey Oku, a former General Manager incharge of Administration, Fred Crentsil, former CEO, Muheeb Saeed, a former PRO, E.M. Commodore Mensah and Afenu Apiigi, both former board members, and Rosemond Atitsogbe, a long-time employee at the club’s secretariat.

Meanwhile, the resignation of Gerald, according to the source, had been accepted by the board, and the Chairman of the board, Togbe Afede XIV, would excercise oversight responsibility as the Executive Chairman until a substantive Managing director is appointed.