Government to do away with SMCD 54 soon

The Ministry of Youth and Sports, in consultation with the Attorney General's Department, intends to study the proposed National Sports Bill to will replace the SMCD 54.

The Supreme Military Council Decree 54 governs the administration of sports in the country.

Addressing a workshop in Accra for the Ghana Football Association (GFA) and other stakeholders in football, Mr Joe Aggrey, Deputy Minister of Youth and Sports, said the government is aware of the inadequacies of the decree and the controversies it has generated in certain sports circles.

He expressed his satisfaction with a working document on football, ''The Way Forward Vision,'' and said the document has outlined certain shortfalls that have consistently affected the development of football in the country.

Mr Aggrey said he was pleased that the five-year development plan drawn by the paper and takes into consideration the next two African Cup of nations in 2002 and 2004, the 2004 Olympics Games and the World Cup in 2004.

"Ghanaians have the feeling that the success or defeat in a competition depends on how seriously the GFA takes its responsibility and this makes their task a difficult one.

"The country's performance at youth level is commendable and well known world wide, but the question that bothers every one including government is that how come we do not do well at the senior level where it matters most."

He said government's zero tolerance for corruption should reflect on the day-to-day administration of the GFA since the numerous accusations of financial impropriety, allegations of bribery and corruption on the part administrators, technical men and referees do not auger well for the image of the game.

Mr Aggrey said in addition to the harm that these malpractices cause the nation they also have the propensity of turning away potential sponsors since no one wants to sink his money into an organisation that has been identified with fraud.

Out lining his blue print, Mr Ben Koufie, the GFA Chairman, said the only way to succeed is to put in place right structures that would move football in the right direction.

He said his development plan would be a nation wide project, which would involve all the junior national teams and would employ punitive measures to ensure correct ages of players are obtained right from the under- 10 team.

Mr Koufie said a national accreditation-coaching scheme would be put in place where only qualified coaches would be graded and licensed to ensure quality coaching.