The Ashanti Regional Secretary of the National Democratic
Congress, NDC, Mr Joseph Yamine has heaped squarely the lapses in government’s
arrangements in taking soccer funs to the just ended FIFA World Cup in South
Africa at the door steps of the Sports Minister, Akua Sena Dansua.
According to Mr Yamine in an interview with Kapital Radio, the problems with the
arrangements
started from the very day the World Cup Planning Committee was constituted and
inaugurated by the Sports Minister.
“First and foremost, what was the criteria she used in
selected the committee member”? He questioned in an exclusive interview with
“The Graphic Sports” at the Muzinda residence in West Pretoria, South Africa.
“It was obvious she was going to fail from day one, looking
at the members of the committee because most of the committee members were not
up to the task since they could not contribute anything to the planning”. He
said
Adding that,” apart from ignoring the right people with the
required professional acumen, she also hijacked the whole exercise to the
detriment of the interest of the Ghanaian soccer funs and government efforts”
He recounted that, “the huge number of setbacks and problems
that were recorded were a sure epitome of lack of knowledge in the planning and
organization of such an event as mobilizing thousands of soccer funs from all
walks of life in this country to the world cup”.
Mr Yamine has therefore called for the removal of the Sports
Minister from office since her failure to properly organize the funs for the
World Cup is a spite in the face of the government.
“The Sports Minister failed woefully in the assignments
given her by His Excellency the President and must be sanctioned to compensate
for the pain and stress suffered by the Ghanaian soccer funs at the World Cup”.
He said
“Also, following the agitations from the distressed soccer
funs, the image of the government has be marred to the extent that it is most
likely to affect the party in future elections”. Mr Yamine emphasized.
“The only way to make up for the tough situation of the funs
is to punish the leader of the committee, who is the Sports Minister”. He
argued.
He said he had a misunderstanding with the Sports Minister
when H.E the Vice President, John Dramani Mahama called a meeting in South
Africa over the failures of the committee.
“A group of party members were called before the Vice
President to try to help find solutions to the then escalating problems in the
supporters camps, and as spokesperson for the party leaders, I made it
categorical to the Vice President, that the Sports Minister had failed in her
assignments”. He revealed
According to Mr Yamine, the Minister who was present at the
said meeting naturally could not take it as she yelled in defense.
He said, in the midst of the problems at the Muzuinda camp
of the Ghanaian soccer funs he met with some party leaders to brainstorm ways
of helping fix the mounting problems since it was getting humiliating for the
government.
“It then came to the fore that we needed to call a meeting
with the Sports Minister, but the Minister will not heed their call for the
meeting after word was sent to her”. He alleged.
“After we insisted on seeing her she finally came around but
will not come out of her car to meet the party leadership. We then walked to
her car at the compound of the residence and told her we needed to see her to
address the problems. It was at this point that she came out to meet with the
party leadership” The Ashanti Regional Secretary further revealed.
“She then promised to put some of us on the original
committee to assist since we were with the people and understood their problems
better but this was not to be as we were sacked from the next meeting of the committee
with the explanation that we were not members of the committee and that the
Sports Minister had not informed them of our involvement in the activities of
the committee”. Mr Yamine Lamented
“It came to light later that the Minister had made a fool
out of the party leadership at the Muzinda base of the funs”. He added
Mr Yamin said the most embarrassing point of the chain of
failures was the Minister’s inability to get tickets for the funs to watch the
games.
“How can we bring people to the South Africa for such and
enviable event and not be able to take them to the stadium to watch the games?”
He questioned.
He questioned who was in charge of the purchase of the
tickets and called on the Minister to answer.
“Its time for the President to probe the happening at the
World Cup, especially how the supporters were handled with specific reference
to the purchase of tickets for the games which we suspect the Sports Minister
is responsible for”. He called.
Meanwhile, impeccable reports available to this reporter
have it that the Minister took along with her family relations, driver,
children to the World Cup at the expense of qualified individuals and groups.
STORY: LISTOWELL
YESU BUKARSON, KAPITAL RADIO, BACK FROM SOUTH AFRICA
Listowell Yesu Banyikakinla Bukarson,
Programmes Manager/Chief Int. Journalist
Kapital Radio,
Sports Manager,
Authentic Sports Networx
17 Ellis Avenue,
Nyiaeso,
UPO Box 675,
KNUST Kumasi
Tel:
Mob: 00233-244-831631/20-8239438
Office: 00233-51-29040/29010/26668
Fax: 233-51-29098
