Kwesi Nyantekyi, Corruption and Mismanagement

Personally I have always held the belief that the current president of the Ghana Football Association, Kwesi Nyantekyi was going to leave office in humiliation and disgrace, because he has no shame, integrity or honor, even considering that he is well educated. With all accusing fingers pointing to the leader of the FA am thinking he should do the wise thing of stepping down to save himself of what is in store for him.

According to FIFA General Secretary Jerome Valcke in an interview with British Broadcasting Corporation {BBC}, they were willing to pay the players to avoid the agitation and the embarrassment before the Portugal game as long as Nyantekyi could provide a copy of the agreement between the GFA and the players. Though the offer was made Nyantekyi never got back to the FIFA general Secretary. Rather he put pressure on the President Mahama to act unconventionally ,thereby making him the laughing stock of the whole world. But because of his corruption practices of underhand and dealing when it comes to using the team as an ATM machine for him and his cronies. The players have tolerated the corrupt practices of the management for far too long and perhaps their reason to insist on what is due them because the government will receive the FIFA fees through the GFA and it will take them months to get what is due them and even then they will have to pay tips. These corrupt practices, ill treatment and mismanagement of players have been going on for years but because the players are afraid of been dropped from the team they have endured all until now .

There is even an Hollywood actor who is making a movie about the $3 million which was transferred in a charter aircraft with security and 70 more supporters.

One of the anti-corruption gang Prince Kelvin Boateng continue to make more revelations regarding poor conditions the team went through . Innocent goaltender Adam Kwarasey has also indicated that Nyantekyi was the main cause of all their problems. The final blow came from international actor with Ghanaian descent Boris Kudjoe who has also supported voting Nyantekyi out of office.

The mystery surrounding the poor leadership and management of Ghana soccer is beginning to manifest itself with the alleged corrupt practices of the President of the Ghana Football Association {GFA}, Kwesi Nyantekyi, and the other executive committee members who seize every opportunity and qualification to enrich themselves at the expense of the players and the nation.

Thanks to Brazil 2014, the rebellious players and the social media has further helped exposed the rot and the corrupt practices within the GFA and Nyantekyi should be a matter of principle either step down or the government show do a very serious lobbying to get him out of that office even though a lot of harm and disgrace has been done to the country

Unintelligent Kwesi Nyantekyi is hiding behind the Article 3 of FIFA which states : Discrimination of any kind against ,private, person on the account of race, skin color , ethnic, national, social origin, gender, language, religion, POLITICAL OR ANY OTHER OPINION , birth, or any other reason is strictly prohibited and punishable by suspension or expulsion. Nyantekyi is on record to have said in May 24 edition the local media that " Its not time yet to exit his post as GFA president until he is ready. He added that " I will be the one to tell whether it's someone's turn to succeed me". The question is with which authority is he talking . He is not God or he is hiding behind the FIFA to continue his corrupt practices. He is hiding behind the word political under the Article 3 of the FIFA to protect his bad deeds, mismanagement ,poor leadership and corrupt practices.

I recall under the late President John Atta Mills, Nii Lante and Professor Dodoo attempted to contest him he run to FIFI using the Article 3 to fight them off claiming they were using politics to remove him from office.

He is on record to have boasted that his administration has qualified the Black Stars to the World Cups of 2006, 2010 and 2014, initiated structural changes in the administration of football and source tremendous sponsorship to the Black Stars.

Now lets turn for the post-mortem of the Brazil 2014 . Nyantekyi has led the Black Stars to three different World Cups under Osafo Marfo, Akua Sena Dansua and Elvis Afriyie Ankrah so I expected Nyantekyi to use the experience gain in the competition and under these minister for effective management of the team. What was the use of the 20 extra members of the 70 member contingent Ghana and the GFA sent to Brazil. What was their role. FIFA in their wisdom has made allocation for 23 players and 27 officials including technical and backroom staff. Nyantekyi should be able to explain Ghanaians the role of the extra 20 members in Brazil .

GFA president is trying to convince Ghanaians that player revolt or pressing for their appearance fees contribute to the low morale in camp leading to their early exit.

Nyantekyi, have you forgotten so soon that, many months, after the South African World Cup competition , it took John Mensah to use his car to block the entrance of the GFA offices to demand their appearance fees. These players ply their trade in very civil society under efficient and effective management so when dealing with them be mindful they know their right . The appearance fees issue was discussed before the team left Ghana and they were promised they will be paid within a week of their arrival so based on experience they have every right to press for it when non essential members and cronies of the GFA presidents were having a field day in Brazil.

As much as condemn any physical altercation of any form, I believe sometimes one person can sacrifice for the benefit of a whole society and in this case Sulley Mutari did the unthinkable with one of the non essential members of the Stars and it will bring sanity into the team. I salute Michael Essien my alma mater, Jordan Ayew, Andre Dede Ayew, Kelvin Prince Boateng and Adam Kwaserey who gave meaning to positive defiance. I hope the committee that will be set up should sit in camera to give some of our players the opportunity to make public the rot which we continually push under the carpet.

Already both the Minister Afriyie Ankrah and his deputy Yamin have been removed . I therefore support and encourage the government to put in place a lobbying machinery to vote Nyantekyi out because he is a disgrace and embarrassment to the country and the GFA.

He uses his ill-gotten money to influence members of the various committee to continue to keep him so he can make them non essential members of any trip as reward. If you claim a member of a team is non essential why do you take them. Its on record that anyone who tries to contest him is seen as an enemy ,but Ghana is a democratic country so everyone has equal right as long as you have the qualification and experience to lead. If Nyantekyi who is a trained lawyer has mismanaged up so bad , the government to use lobby to remove him because there are equally competent Ghanaians who are ready to serve in that capacity. Nyantekyi there have been Lawton Ackah Ayensu, H P Nyametei , Zac Bentum, Katey Ceasar, Sam Brew Butler, Ben Kuofie , before you, non was as corrupt as you. You have no shame and I know for sure you would like to contest for a position in which you have failed by influencing your cronies with some of you corrupt money and that's the reason why am calling on the government machinery to lobby for your replacement because you are milking the country and making the country a laughing stock. You have outlive your usefulness. Bow out Recently the British Media , Daily Telegraph and Channels 4 Dispatches alleged that you agreed to a match fixing using an undercover agent. They made any attempt to get your side of the story but you refused to talk to them , they then approach your communication expert Ibrahim Saani Daara who also refused to talk. Nyantekyi I want to remind you that you are not dealing with some Ghanaian media you can influence easily with money to kill the story or your so call communication expert will deny the story and that will be the end of the story. This is a very reputable and respected media and they are fully aware about the legal implications of their story and are also armed with evidence so better prepare for further embarrassment and disgrace. You can buy and influence some Ghanaian press with money but not those from the two media houses.

According to Radio XYZ , the Ghana Police Command has not yet confirmed the receipt of official complaint from GFA President over the match-fixing allegations by the British media Daily Telegraph and Channels 4.

Am by this feature appealing to President Mahama , Parliament, Ghana Sports Writers Association and any lobbying group to used the proper channel to vote him out during the next GFA congress.

All the reasons above, and the humiliation Nyantekyi has taken Ghana through for the past 9 years should be enough grounds to vote him out. He is overly corrupt and lack managerial acumen. Ghana need fresh GFA leader and management team.

By Eric Okotah USA based Ghanaian Journalist