Respect the rule of law in Nyantakyi’s corruption allegation

I have been following the discourse on the report lodged by HE Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, President of the Republic of Ghana, with the Criminal Investigations Department of the Ghana Police Service in which certain allegations have been leveled against President of the Ghana Football Association, Lawyer Kwesi Nyantakyi.

The entropy that greeted the public disclosure of the President’s report to the Police was very intriguing. The commentaries that have followed have been passionate and heavily weighted against Mr. Nyantakyi.

There have also been quite a number of varied reasons given to why the Presidency decided to lodge the said report ahead of the public viewing of the investigative piece (from Tiger Eye PI) in which Kwesi Nyantakyi is alleged to have made some remarks that specifically mention the President of our nation.

I will not dwell on any of the foregoing in this comment.

I share these thoughts as an African Citizen, passionate about Ghana and Africa and passionate about our Football, a sport that providence has endowed millions of Africans with; and a sport that I have been an active part of for almost three decades.

I also share these statements as a Father who has had the experience of being subjected to heavily negative public commentary on a couple of occasions. I know what those experiences did to my family; I know how they impacted on my sons, daughter, mother, siblings and indeed, the clan from which I hail. I know how those experiences affected friends and so many people who look up to me.

I hold to the view that, in a country that touts itself to be a believer in the RULE OF LAW, it is absolutely necessary that we accord Mr. Kwesi Nyantakyi the space for a thorough investigation to be conducted and for him to exercise his right to state his side of the issues in question. A person remains innocent until proven guilty.

As I listen to the things being said about Mr. Kwesi Nyantakyi, I can’t help but feel for his children and family. What they must be going through. My heart goes out to them and I pray that God gives them the grace and strength to ride this storm.

I feel for the Ghanaian and African Football fraternity, whom Kwesi Nyantakyi represents at the highest echelons of African (First Vice-President, CAF) and World (FIFA Executive Council member) football. These are not easy times for the football fraternity.

For all football loving people, let’s not forget that our greatest prayer should be that when all is said and done, the Ghana Football Association, and for that matter, the game which is our passion and the passion of millions of Africans, will not suffer irreparable damage.



I, therefore, respectfully and humbly, call on all football loving people to carefully consider the impact that our actions and words would have on the image of the GFA and our beautiful game as we speak or act in the coming days.

May God continue to bless us all, and give us the heart to be compassionate towards each other; always remembering that we are but human, and all striving to get better as we journey through this life.

May God bless our homeland Ghana, and May He continue to bless our beautiful continent, Africa!