Asantehene Takes Measures to revamp Kumasi Asante Kotoko

Otumfuo Osei tutu II, Asantehene, the Spiritual Head and Life Patron of Kumasi Asante Kotoko Football Club last Saturday announced measures to put the club on sound footing for this year's football season. As a first step, an advisory body is to be instituted to assist the current management under Mr Herbert Mensah, Board Chairman of the club to steer affairs of the club this year.

In addition, a committee would be set up to deliberate and come out with proposals on whether the club's suspended constitution by the late Asantehene, Otumfuo Opoku Ware II should be revoked or the club should be registered as a limited liability company.

Asantehene announced these measures at an emergency meeting held at his insistance and attended by patrons, all past board members, past and present chairmen, chief executives, the circles, ladies club and the Asante Kotoko Old Players Association (AKOPA) at the National House of Chiefs conference hall in Kumasi.

He explained that the meeting was convened to review the stewardship of the current management under Herbert Mensah since 1999 and the way forward for the club to regain its lost glory on the Africa continent and the globe.

Otumfuo Osei Tutu asked all stakeholders in the club to refrain from the old ways of doing things and in running the club but put all their human, material and financial resources together to build the club. "I will not advocate for the use of the club's constitution but believe in the floating of shares in line with modern management of clubs in the world and where all the stakeholders will become shareholders in the running of the club". The Asantehene directed Mr George Adusei-Poku (Georgido), a former chief executive of the club to withdraw an appeal he has filed at the Appeal Court against the findings of the Gbadegbe Commission for amicable settlement out of court. "The club belongs to me and I have the right to investigate and find out those who benefited in the Robert Boateng's transfer at the expense of the club". Otumfuo Osei Tutu said, "I will ensure that all monies that are due to Kotoko but have been diverted into private pockets are paid into the accounts of the club".

Mr Mensah in his report to the meeting said under his management, a five- year programme has been drawn to make the club the best in the country and the continent.

He announced that the club now has a deficit of about 4.6 billion cedis and efforts should be made to improve on the club's finances, adding, "everybody loves Kotoko but nobody wants to help or finance operations of Kotoko".

Supporters of the club who thronged the premises of the meeting hailed the measures instituted by the Asantehene and sang praises to him and Mr Mensah, hoping the club would perform better this league season under the current management.