GFA to Court If...Premier league delays

Before Ghana Football Association (GFA) settles down for the 2003 programme, after a long legal tussle with Mighty Jets, GFA will be back to the courtroom, if the association fails to resolve the crisis in B/A United Football club immediately.

In a strongly-worded two-paged letter dated April 22, this year to the association, Mr. Obiri Francis, the solicitor and barrister for the executive chairman (is he the former EC?) of the club Kingsley Osei Bonsu a.k.a. Zico asked the GFA to come out clean over who is the legitimate executive chairman of B/A United F/C.

According to the letter, a copy of which this reporter stumbled upon, the life patron of the club dissolved the board of directors, early this year, and extended the mandate of Zico's management to January 2005, as per letter dated January 5, 2003 copied to GFA.

According to the lawyer, GFA per its letter dated January 15, 2003, with reference number GFA/BAU/VOLI/28 and signed by Emanuel Gyimah for and on behalf of the association acknowledged the receipt of the life patron's letter and endorsed it as such.

Mr. Obiri said, this notwithstanding, a so-called management team intends forcibly taking over the club. "I am therefore by this letter entreating your outfit (GFA) to take a firm decision on this in the shortest possible time before the commencement of official registration of players, Guinness Gala and the National Premier League.

We shall not hesitate to go to court to seek an injunction to restrain your outfit from commencing 2003/2004 league in any form whatsoever until the honourable court has declared my clients" (Zico and his management team) as the competent body or otherwise to run the affairs of B/A Utd. F/C, which they were mandated to do," he stressed in the letter.

The lawyer added that he will also pray for injunction to restrain the Interim Management Committee (IMC) and again question the capacity in which the IMC is operating among other relieves until the final determination of the case.

Meanwhile, the executive chairman of the IMC, George 'King' Arthur insists that he is the legitimate chairman of B/A United. F/C. According to Arthur, congress mandated him a few months ago to run the affairs of the club.

GFA, having passed the Charles Taylor case with distinction is faced with yet another uphill task.

GFA's response/decision will determine whether the lawyer would go to court or not.