An FA Presidential hopeful Neil Armstrong Mortagbe has expressed surprise at the FA Executive Committee’s decision to hold the Presidential elections before that of the Regional Football Association.
Mr. Armstrong says he has referred the matter to his legal team since it’s difficult to understand the rationale behind the decision.
The 10 Regional Football Associations have a total of 30 votes at congress and it’s was expected that the RFA elections will proceed that of the presidential race but some legal experts say the FA constitution does not clearly define the election timetable.
The Executive Committee, the body which has the power to determine the election timetable, at its meeting two weeks ago approved plans to stage the Presidential race on 28th April, 2011 before the RFA’s will take their turns in May and June.
In an interview with this reporter Neil Armstrong Mortagbe said he respects the decision of the Executive Committee but feels they should take a second look at the situation.
“I was surprised knowing the sequence that we had seen in the first instance,” he said adding that “the Executive Committee and some reps of the FA have been at pains to explain why that sequence was arranged.”
“For me I’m a football person through and through, the executive committee has a mandate to determine the date for the elections and the modalities for the elections. They have so determined.”
The 42 year old club administrator also explained that he is taking the new development seriously and has tasked his team to analyse the situation.
“I have referred the matter to my legal team of my campaign to see if there is any way we can discuss with the FA and understand the rationale behind why it so and also make a case why it should be anything else.
“But even as things stand now, I believe that my presentation, my programme, my passion, the spirit behind this declaration and campaign can still win me through the Electoral College.”
The Fifa Marketing Consultant and Instructor also used the occasion to announce his decision to resign from his post as Treasurer for the Ghana League Clubs Association in other to be eligible to contest the top FA post since GHALCA rules debars executive members from running for the job.
The 42 year olds campaign Manifesto which primarily focuses on the importance of developing grassroots football is under the theme “Reaping where we have sown: the cry of the Ghanaian Football Investor: A call to duty.
Mr. Mortagbe says it will be his vision to transform the brand of Ghana Football into one of the most attractive and sought after Football Brands in the World and ensure that all investors and stakeholders of the game receive a due return on their investment.
The former Chairman of the National Chapters Committee of Accra Hearts of Oak is also confident of winning the race saying he would not have stood for the post if he knew he will not win.
But observers believe that the task to depose the incumbent President Kwesi Nyantakyi will be daunting considering the achievements and the status Mr. Nyantakyi has within the football fraternity and more importantly the Electoral College.
However, Neil Armstrong is unperturbed.
“The FA sees me as a threat. Within days of my announcing my candidacy, three strong cases about my eligibility were brought up, and then the Executive Committee announced the date for congress.”
“I believe my team and I have a message that is compelling enough to win this election even with the current composition and even with the current modalities that have been announced by the Executive Committee.
Neil Armstrong, who previously served in various capacities with Accra Hearts of Oak within a fifteen year period, is currently the club President of Accra based division two side Apex United.
Neil Armstrong has received some rave reviews after throwing his hut in the ring for the FA post last week and he is hoping the electoral system will be fair.
“Of course anybody going into an election will want a fair system and that iw why I keep on talking about Fifa warning against discrimination.
“Is one of things that the guys are looking into and if for instance they look at the discrimination clause and say that this decision by the Exco discrimination against anybody, it will be raised first of all at the GFA because we must go through the system we are football people and we are working in football.
“There is a grievance procedure we have to go through.
“But if the legal committee feels there is nothing wrong, then we will get the show on the road.”
http://www.goal.com/en/news/1658/ghana/2011/03/22/2406670/ghana-fa-presidential-hopeful-surprised-at-executive
http://www.ghanabusinessnews.com/2011/03/22/gfa-presidential-hopeful-surprised-at-executive-committee-decision-on-elections/
My life and my career.
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Hearts need to stage a revival
An obviously shocked Accra Hearts of Oak Coach Nebojsa Vucicevic had little words of consolation for the phobian faithful minutes after his side succumbed to a 2:0 loss to arch-rivals Kumasi Asante Kotoko.
When asked what went wrong with his team, the Serbian replied “I don’t know what happened because we prepared very well for the game. Maybe too much crowd.”
The Serbian who only took charge of the phobians after the African Nations Championship was clearly not sure about what exactly hit his team after gifting time and space consistently to Kotoko for long periods in the game.
And indeed for a club that is celebrating its centenary, the manner of the defeat was very hard to take and Hearts left the Accra Spots Stadium with an uncertain future with many questions lingering about the once dreaded African Champions.
But from a keen observer’s point of view, the reasons for the defeat was quite clear and it can be explained by events on the match day as well as the recruitment of players especially the second round.
Many of us were caught up in the euphoria surrounding what is obviously the biggest game in club football in the country and for those who watched the game at the stadium, the battle begun during the warm up period.
On the back of a famous 1:0 victory over the porcupine warriors earlier in the season, Hearts came onto the pitch in a very confident mood.
In the searing heat at the stadium, the Hearts starting eleven and the substitutes undertook vigorous physical activities including jogging, breaking into spontaneous runs at high speed, three-aside games, rounding it up by waving white handkerchiefs to wild cheers.
The phobians spent forty minutes on the warm up while Kotoko, who wore black jerseys initially, spent twenty minutes.
The effect showed clearly when the game began as it looked like the Hearts players had huge bags of cement strapped onto their backs in the early part of the game.
Kotoko were the livelier of the teams in the opening 20 minutes and first to the second ball against a side who still seemed to be suffering from the effect of their physical activity.
Before Hearts could awake from their slumber, Kotoko had already scored twice through the hard working Ahmed Toure and captain Daniel Nii Adjie on five minutes and 21 minutes respectively.
Ahmed Toure latched onto Alex Asamoah’s through ball before dispatching it home with the left foot after a long kick by goalkeeper Isaac Amoako.
Toure and Alex Asamoah combined to set up Nii Adjie for the more spectacular goal.
But that is not to take credit away from the hard working Kotoko players on the day.
The contest was effectively over after 30 minutes as the visitors reduced the pace of the game to a stroll in the park and forced their hosts to adapt to the custom of their game.
In their ensuing period, the Kotoko players’ superior technique enabled them to possess the ball and slice the Hearts defense open at will.
Hearts could only watch on in awe, praying the worse does not happen to them after crushing the fabulous boys 4:0 in a similar encounter in 1998 at the same venue.
DIFFERENT ATTACKING STYLES
The porcupine warriors easily picked Hearts right full back Philip Boampong as the weakest link in the home team’s defense and rightly so.
Boampong who has been used mostly as a central defender lacks the needed pace to play on the wing and his tackling still lacks the edge to play at the top level.
The National under-20 star is still thought of as a rough diamond almost two years after Ghana picked up gold at the FIFA Under-20 World Cup in Egypt.
Kotoko captain Daniel Nii Adjie took delight in disturbing the peace of the young man by running deep into midfield while striker Ahmed Toure took up the left wing position.
On an afternoon that the phobians badly needed some inspiration to beat their bitter rivals, the likes of Obed Ansah and Uriah Asante, failed to show up and Mr. Vucicevic had only one option - to substitute them. I must admit though that, Opoku Afriyie brought some life into the Hearts team with some good passing and running down the right flank.
Criticisms of Kotoko’s play
For all their composed and confident play though, many Kotoko fans were disappointed that their team did not step on the gas pedal in the second half.
After a very composed display in the first half, it seemed to all that the porcupine warriors had been read the riot act by their coach after half time but the players showed a lack of interest to rub salt into their badly injured opponents.
Lessons from Kotoko
When faced with the prospects of relegation in the first round of the league, after seven defeats on the trot, the Executive Chairman of Kotoko Dr. K.K. Sarpong took the wisest decision to open the chequebook and sign quality players.
The list included the Gomoa Fetteh Feyenoord quartet of Awal Mohammed, Yaw Frimpong, Michael Akuffo and Nafiu Iddrisu as well as the Wa All Stars strike duo of Fatau Mohammed and Nathaniel Asamoah.
And I must emphasise that it was the quality of players the club signed that enabled them make the turnaround although some might argue that Serbian coach Bogdan Korack also had a hand in the success story with his conditioning technique.
It is remarkable that the new players brought an instant change to the team ever since the second round began.
Kotoko have won five matches while drawing one and losing one in seven matches in the second round.
Kotoko’s new found hero Awal Mohammed, is a tower of strength and assurance in the defense, Yaw Frimpong’s pace down the right wing continues to cause opponents more problems while Michael Akuffo has assumed a prominent role in central midfield and can be deadly from dead ball situations.
The new darling boy Nathaniel Asamoah has scored three goals so far.
Hearts might be celebrating their centenary, but they need to wake up to the realities of the 21st century and try to take some lessons from the Kotoko management.
Way forward
Hearts effectively have to undergo rebuilding now not only because of the loss to Kotoko, but the reality is that the future looks bleak for a club that is celebrating its centenary.
The current crop of players at the club cannot withstand the pressures of the local league in the coming years whereas other clubs are now well positioned to continue with their successes.
Again, let me point out that the solution will not be in floating shares on the Ghana Stock Exchange to raise funds.
In my humble opinion, Hearts would be better off with sound management practices in other to attract potential sponsors.
In economic terms, Hearts must now admit they are in recession.
To paraphrase a quote most economists use “within every recession there is always a seed for recovery.”
The time might not be too late for Hearts to stage a revival.
When asked what went wrong with his team, the Serbian replied “I don’t know what happened because we prepared very well for the game. Maybe too much crowd.”
The Serbian who only took charge of the phobians after the African Nations Championship was clearly not sure about what exactly hit his team after gifting time and space consistently to Kotoko for long periods in the game.
And indeed for a club that is celebrating its centenary, the manner of the defeat was very hard to take and Hearts left the Accra Spots Stadium with an uncertain future with many questions lingering about the once dreaded African Champions.
But from a keen observer’s point of view, the reasons for the defeat was quite clear and it can be explained by events on the match day as well as the recruitment of players especially the second round.
Many of us were caught up in the euphoria surrounding what is obviously the biggest game in club football in the country and for those who watched the game at the stadium, the battle begun during the warm up period.
On the back of a famous 1:0 victory over the porcupine warriors earlier in the season, Hearts came onto the pitch in a very confident mood.
In the searing heat at the stadium, the Hearts starting eleven and the substitutes undertook vigorous physical activities including jogging, breaking into spontaneous runs at high speed, three-aside games, rounding it up by waving white handkerchiefs to wild cheers.
The phobians spent forty minutes on the warm up while Kotoko, who wore black jerseys initially, spent twenty minutes.
The effect showed clearly when the game began as it looked like the Hearts players had huge bags of cement strapped onto their backs in the early part of the game.
Kotoko were the livelier of the teams in the opening 20 minutes and first to the second ball against a side who still seemed to be suffering from the effect of their physical activity.
Before Hearts could awake from their slumber, Kotoko had already scored twice through the hard working Ahmed Toure and captain Daniel Nii Adjie on five minutes and 21 minutes respectively.
Ahmed Toure latched onto Alex Asamoah’s through ball before dispatching it home with the left foot after a long kick by goalkeeper Isaac Amoako.
Toure and Alex Asamoah combined to set up Nii Adjie for the more spectacular goal.
But that is not to take credit away from the hard working Kotoko players on the day.
The contest was effectively over after 30 minutes as the visitors reduced the pace of the game to a stroll in the park and forced their hosts to adapt to the custom of their game.
In their ensuing period, the Kotoko players’ superior technique enabled them to possess the ball and slice the Hearts defense open at will.
Hearts could only watch on in awe, praying the worse does not happen to them after crushing the fabulous boys 4:0 in a similar encounter in 1998 at the same venue.
DIFFERENT ATTACKING STYLES
The porcupine warriors easily picked Hearts right full back Philip Boampong as the weakest link in the home team’s defense and rightly so.
Boampong who has been used mostly as a central defender lacks the needed pace to play on the wing and his tackling still lacks the edge to play at the top level.
The National under-20 star is still thought of as a rough diamond almost two years after Ghana picked up gold at the FIFA Under-20 World Cup in Egypt.
Kotoko captain Daniel Nii Adjie took delight in disturbing the peace of the young man by running deep into midfield while striker Ahmed Toure took up the left wing position.
On an afternoon that the phobians badly needed some inspiration to beat their bitter rivals, the likes of Obed Ansah and Uriah Asante, failed to show up and Mr. Vucicevic had only one option - to substitute them. I must admit though that, Opoku Afriyie brought some life into the Hearts team with some good passing and running down the right flank.
Criticisms of Kotoko’s play
For all their composed and confident play though, many Kotoko fans were disappointed that their team did not step on the gas pedal in the second half.
After a very composed display in the first half, it seemed to all that the porcupine warriors had been read the riot act by their coach after half time but the players showed a lack of interest to rub salt into their badly injured opponents.
Lessons from Kotoko
When faced with the prospects of relegation in the first round of the league, after seven defeats on the trot, the Executive Chairman of Kotoko Dr. K.K. Sarpong took the wisest decision to open the chequebook and sign quality players.
The list included the Gomoa Fetteh Feyenoord quartet of Awal Mohammed, Yaw Frimpong, Michael Akuffo and Nafiu Iddrisu as well as the Wa All Stars strike duo of Fatau Mohammed and Nathaniel Asamoah.
And I must emphasise that it was the quality of players the club signed that enabled them make the turnaround although some might argue that Serbian coach Bogdan Korack also had a hand in the success story with his conditioning technique.
It is remarkable that the new players brought an instant change to the team ever since the second round began.
Kotoko have won five matches while drawing one and losing one in seven matches in the second round.
Kotoko’s new found hero Awal Mohammed, is a tower of strength and assurance in the defense, Yaw Frimpong’s pace down the right wing continues to cause opponents more problems while Michael Akuffo has assumed a prominent role in central midfield and can be deadly from dead ball situations.
The new darling boy Nathaniel Asamoah has scored three goals so far.
Hearts might be celebrating their centenary, but they need to wake up to the realities of the 21st century and try to take some lessons from the Kotoko management.
Way forward
Hearts effectively have to undergo rebuilding now not only because of the loss to Kotoko, but the reality is that the future looks bleak for a club that is celebrating its centenary.
The current crop of players at the club cannot withstand the pressures of the local league in the coming years whereas other clubs are now well positioned to continue with their successes.
Again, let me point out that the solution will not be in floating shares on the Ghana Stock Exchange to raise funds.
In my humble opinion, Hearts would be better off with sound management practices in other to attract potential sponsors.
In economic terms, Hearts must now admit they are in recession.
To paraphrase a quote most economists use “within every recession there is always a seed for recovery.”
The time might not be too late for Hearts to stage a revival.
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Sports Journalism of our time
Not a day goes by without word of some fraudulent or dishonest conduct by people in positions of trust in the local football game, and more generally in Ghana sports as a whole.
From the numerous petitions to the GFA by some club administrators, it would appear that, the problem of corruption in the game goes much deeper than previously thought.
Indeed it is not uncommon to hear about situations where regional FA bosses literally choose which teams get promoted to play in the second and first divisions.
In that sense, the football league is played as a mere formality as everything is made possible for such teams to win matches whether by fair or foul means.
The recent petitions to the FA by the founder of Ketu Stars, Abdul Kadiri, and the owner of Suhum Maxbees Nana Budu, point to that fact.
To make matters worse, most of the regional FAs do not have their accounts audited at the end of year. For example, the Volta Regional FA’s accounts have not been audited for the past nine years.
LOCAL BLACK STARS PERFORMANCE LINKED TO CORRUPTION!
In the aftermath of the local Black Stars disastrous performance at the 2011 African Nations Championship, some attempts have been made to link the team’s performance to perceived corruption and injustice in the league.
Ghanaians had high expectations after the head coach of the team Hebert Addo selected the cream of players from the defending league champions Aduana Stars and the current league leaders Berekum Chelsea.
But many have been left wondering whether indeed we have been crowning worth champions following the national teams indifferent showing in Sudan.
I remember an interview I had with former GFA boss Ben Koufie before the current league campaign started last year. The experienced coach and administrator expressed grave worry about the future of the local game due to the worsening case of bribery of match officials.
On the same programme, a FIFA Refereeing instructor Joseph Wellington confirmed my worst fears that bribery of match officials has become rampart; he therefore urged the need to nip the act in the bud.
Well, months on you will want to ask whether any steps were taken to check the menace? It seems to be business as usual.
THE ROLE OF THE MEDIA
Where corruption or the perception of corruption exists, the role of the journalist is to help the general public make sense of the issue(s) through informed systematic inquiry. Unfortunately, the need to better understand issues relating to corruption (real or perceived) is often misconstrued as attempts to “pull him down”.
Given the real and alleged levels of corruption within football administration in Ghana, there is a need for those of us in sports journalism to do an introspective self-examination to see whether we are helping to address the problem, or simply adding fuel to the problem through our actions or inaction.
Under no circumstance should the media be seen as getting its hands dirty by actively meddling in the affairs of the Ghana Football Association, primarily as members of club sides. For example, journalists should not manufacture stories that have no factual basis just to antagonize or discredit legitimate processes.
Likewise, journalists should not muddy or “water down” stories for which there is reasonable cause for further journalistic investigation to gain a better understanding of the issues at stake. If journalists did any of these two things that would constitute a surrendering of the moral high ground.
Sadly though, this practice of surrendering the moral high ground, often to the highest bidder if we are to believe the rumours, is very common in certain quarters.
In other cases, journalists take up positions as the public relations officers of club sides in the country because of the unique positions they occupy in society.
To put it bluntly, how can the media fulfill its fourth estate obligation to the public at large if we confuse our need for close access to football administrators with being part of the “team”?
Once compromised, it is easy to understand why some journalists show a significant degree of discomfort with, and disinterest in, particular news stories that have a negative impact on their interest i.e., “team”.
I have watched in horror over the past few months as some media elements wage an unrelenting attack on other media personalities whom they tag as “anti-GFA”.
The Graphic Sports in particular has come under heavy criticism for its reportage on possible corruption at the GFA, the most recent story being the alleged $4,000 payments to Executive Committee members of the FA who did not travel to the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
Despite the Graphic Sports’ alleged hate campaign and conspiracies, the stories that the national paper has vigorously pursued have generally turned out to have some element of truth to them.
CHEERLEADING AND SCAPEGOATING
Matters also came to a head following FA President Kwesi Nyantakyi’s election to the CAF Executive Committee position in Sudan last month.
Some supporters of Mr. Nyantakyi’s administration used the occasion to cast aspersions on perceived opponents of the FA.
Sadly, it seems there are journalists who cannot separate the joy of seeing a fellow Ghanaian elected to CAF’s executive committee from outstanding questions about the administration of football in Ghana.
Are we to believe that the honor of being elected to a position of authority equates to vindication on any or all outstanding matters of relevance? Does it mean the new position absolves them of other lingering questions of national significance?
Having said that, it is instructive to note that in the final analysis; even some FA members do value the role the media plays in developing the game and therefore see criticism as a good way of checking excesses in their administration.
It will be erroneous to conclude that a media house or a media person is an enemy of the FA simply because he/she criticises or reviews questionable FA practices.
WAY FORWARD
I once overheard a journalist say that it was no longer necessary to talk about the “never ending story” of corruption at the Eastern Regional Football Association (RFA) because in his view, the football authorities would simply not take any action against the RFA Chairman, Mohammed Lawal.
But there has to be an alternate way forward.
A case in point is the International media’s exposé on how International Olympic Committee members traded their “votes for cash” in what became known as the Salt Lake Scandal over a decade ago.
For strangers in Jerusalem, Salt Lake City won the right to host the 2002 Winter Olympics by offering scholarships to the children of IOC members, land in Utah and other lavish gifts.
The IOC has been able to streamline its voting procedure to avoid another such scandal. It might not be full-proof but at least they have made an attempt to tackle what was a very serious issue.
I can only borrow a quote from the BBC’s James Pearce who wrote a piece on possible lessons FIFA could learn from its counterparts, the International Olympic Committee following the controversial award of the World Cup hosting rights to Russia and Qatar.
Mr. Pearce’s said “the only way FIFA will change is if there is strong and united international pressure.”
Conclusion
There is the need for a concerted effort to tackle the unsavory and compromising manner in which sports, especially football is covered in Ghana by the media.
To that effect, I believe the new leadership of the Sports Writers Association (SWAG) and the Ghana Journalist Association (GJA) have the onus responsibility to create a platform for a dispassionate discussion on effective and forward looking coverage of sports in Ghana.
Perhaps, a stakeholders meeting of sport journalists could lead to the development of a framework for coverage of sports in Ghana.
Such a framework will help current and aspiring journalists cover sports in a manner that most benefits the nation and helps the different sporting disciplines move forward in highly productive yet accountable ways.
http://news.peacefmonline.com/features/201103/143977.php
From the numerous petitions to the GFA by some club administrators, it would appear that, the problem of corruption in the game goes much deeper than previously thought.
Indeed it is not uncommon to hear about situations where regional FA bosses literally choose which teams get promoted to play in the second and first divisions.
In that sense, the football league is played as a mere formality as everything is made possible for such teams to win matches whether by fair or foul means.
The recent petitions to the FA by the founder of Ketu Stars, Abdul Kadiri, and the owner of Suhum Maxbees Nana Budu, point to that fact.
To make matters worse, most of the regional FAs do not have their accounts audited at the end of year. For example, the Volta Regional FA’s accounts have not been audited for the past nine years.
LOCAL BLACK STARS PERFORMANCE LINKED TO CORRUPTION!
In the aftermath of the local Black Stars disastrous performance at the 2011 African Nations Championship, some attempts have been made to link the team’s performance to perceived corruption and injustice in the league.
Ghanaians had high expectations after the head coach of the team Hebert Addo selected the cream of players from the defending league champions Aduana Stars and the current league leaders Berekum Chelsea.
But many have been left wondering whether indeed we have been crowning worth champions following the national teams indifferent showing in Sudan.
I remember an interview I had with former GFA boss Ben Koufie before the current league campaign started last year. The experienced coach and administrator expressed grave worry about the future of the local game due to the worsening case of bribery of match officials.
On the same programme, a FIFA Refereeing instructor Joseph Wellington confirmed my worst fears that bribery of match officials has become rampart; he therefore urged the need to nip the act in the bud.
Well, months on you will want to ask whether any steps were taken to check the menace? It seems to be business as usual.
THE ROLE OF THE MEDIA
Where corruption or the perception of corruption exists, the role of the journalist is to help the general public make sense of the issue(s) through informed systematic inquiry. Unfortunately, the need to better understand issues relating to corruption (real or perceived) is often misconstrued as attempts to “pull him down”.
Given the real and alleged levels of corruption within football administration in Ghana, there is a need for those of us in sports journalism to do an introspective self-examination to see whether we are helping to address the problem, or simply adding fuel to the problem through our actions or inaction.
Under no circumstance should the media be seen as getting its hands dirty by actively meddling in the affairs of the Ghana Football Association, primarily as members of club sides. For example, journalists should not manufacture stories that have no factual basis just to antagonize or discredit legitimate processes.
Likewise, journalists should not muddy or “water down” stories for which there is reasonable cause for further journalistic investigation to gain a better understanding of the issues at stake. If journalists did any of these two things that would constitute a surrendering of the moral high ground.
Sadly though, this practice of surrendering the moral high ground, often to the highest bidder if we are to believe the rumours, is very common in certain quarters.
In other cases, journalists take up positions as the public relations officers of club sides in the country because of the unique positions they occupy in society.
To put it bluntly, how can the media fulfill its fourth estate obligation to the public at large if we confuse our need for close access to football administrators with being part of the “team”?
Once compromised, it is easy to understand why some journalists show a significant degree of discomfort with, and disinterest in, particular news stories that have a negative impact on their interest i.e., “team”.
I have watched in horror over the past few months as some media elements wage an unrelenting attack on other media personalities whom they tag as “anti-GFA”.
The Graphic Sports in particular has come under heavy criticism for its reportage on possible corruption at the GFA, the most recent story being the alleged $4,000 payments to Executive Committee members of the FA who did not travel to the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
Despite the Graphic Sports’ alleged hate campaign and conspiracies, the stories that the national paper has vigorously pursued have generally turned out to have some element of truth to them.
CHEERLEADING AND SCAPEGOATING
Matters also came to a head following FA President Kwesi Nyantakyi’s election to the CAF Executive Committee position in Sudan last month.
Some supporters of Mr. Nyantakyi’s administration used the occasion to cast aspersions on perceived opponents of the FA.
Sadly, it seems there are journalists who cannot separate the joy of seeing a fellow Ghanaian elected to CAF’s executive committee from outstanding questions about the administration of football in Ghana.
Are we to believe that the honor of being elected to a position of authority equates to vindication on any or all outstanding matters of relevance? Does it mean the new position absolves them of other lingering questions of national significance?
Having said that, it is instructive to note that in the final analysis; even some FA members do value the role the media plays in developing the game and therefore see criticism as a good way of checking excesses in their administration.
It will be erroneous to conclude that a media house or a media person is an enemy of the FA simply because he/she criticises or reviews questionable FA practices.
WAY FORWARD
I once overheard a journalist say that it was no longer necessary to talk about the “never ending story” of corruption at the Eastern Regional Football Association (RFA) because in his view, the football authorities would simply not take any action against the RFA Chairman, Mohammed Lawal.
But there has to be an alternate way forward.
A case in point is the International media’s exposé on how International Olympic Committee members traded their “votes for cash” in what became known as the Salt Lake Scandal over a decade ago.
For strangers in Jerusalem, Salt Lake City won the right to host the 2002 Winter Olympics by offering scholarships to the children of IOC members, land in Utah and other lavish gifts.
The IOC has been able to streamline its voting procedure to avoid another such scandal. It might not be full-proof but at least they have made an attempt to tackle what was a very serious issue.
I can only borrow a quote from the BBC’s James Pearce who wrote a piece on possible lessons FIFA could learn from its counterparts, the International Olympic Committee following the controversial award of the World Cup hosting rights to Russia and Qatar.
Mr. Pearce’s said “the only way FIFA will change is if there is strong and united international pressure.”
Conclusion
There is the need for a concerted effort to tackle the unsavory and compromising manner in which sports, especially football is covered in Ghana by the media.
To that effect, I believe the new leadership of the Sports Writers Association (SWAG) and the Ghana Journalist Association (GJA) have the onus responsibility to create a platform for a dispassionate discussion on effective and forward looking coverage of sports in Ghana.
Perhaps, a stakeholders meeting of sport journalists could lead to the development of a framework for coverage of sports in Ghana.
Such a framework will help current and aspiring journalists cover sports in a manner that most benefits the nation and helps the different sporting disciplines move forward in highly productive yet accountable ways.
http://news.peacefmonline.com/features/201103/143977.php
African football needs radical change – fast!
Osasu Obayiuwana, the former BBC journalist and currently Associate Editor of the London-based NewAfrican magazine (www.africasia.com) and a football producer/programme maker with SuperSport, the pan-African sports TV channel, has written a frank piece on the current state of African football, syndicated in the Saturday 5th March editions of The Guardian, Complete Sports and the Daily Trust newspapers, which have the furthest reach in Nigeria, Africa's most populous country of 150 million people.
The piece is replicated below.
African football needs radical change – fast!
By Osasu Obayiuwana
My romance with football – as a journalist and broadcaster – began 24 years ago. It is truly amazing how swiftly the bird of time can fly.
Every dream and ambition I had as a “wet-eared” football journalist has been realised – I’ve covered World Cups and several international tournaments, great African and European club matches, had enlightening conversations with the game’s elite players and officials, as well as having a platform to put my views across to a global audience.
But the game brings me little joy in these troubled times, as the stench of ineptitude, inertia and nepotism, particularly in the African game, puts me – and many of us that deeply care about its future – in a state of despondence and militancy.
The guardians of our game – the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and its 53 member national associations across the continent (South Sudan will become CAF’s 54th member, after its formal commencement as a sovereign state in July) – are frighteningly unaware, or unconcerned, about the precarious state our game is in and an urgent need to chart a course that will halt our rapid decline.
While there’s no question that the 2010 World Cup finals, organised by South Africa, was a resounding success and a credit to the skills of the Local Organising Committee, led by CEO Danny Jordaan, Africa’s performance on the pitch was pathetic.
Five out of our six representatives – Algeria, Cameroon, Cote D’Ivoire, Nigeria and South Africa – fell at the first hurdle, with Ghana’s Black Stars bearing, creditably, the onerous burden of saving Africa from total shame.
With that in mind, I assumed CAF’s 33rd Ordinary General Assembly in Khartoum, Sudan – the birthplace of CAF in 1957 – would provide the perfect forum for the continent’s football mandarins to take an unvarnished, brutally honest look at where we are and what we must do to clean up our mess. The World Cup finals is the benchmark by which the quality of the national and continental game is measured. And on that score, we’re failing miserably.
African football has not moved a single inch beyond the quarter-final Rubicon, crossed by Cameroon’s Indomitable Lions at the 1990 World Cup finals in Italy – twenty one long years ago. Is this a situation of which we can be proud?
How do we continue to tolerate a situation where the Cup of Nations finals offers a measly $1.5 million to the winner and much less to the rest, making the most prestigious tournament in Africa a financial drain pipe on national associations – as the cost of qualifying for the tournament far exceeds the winnings on offer?
Or circumstances where CAF’s committee for ethics and fair play was presided over by a man – the disgraced Amos Adamu – whose conduct and career record has been, to all that know him, anything but ethical, as he ponders the possibility of criminal trial in a Nigerian court?
The only thing that really mattered to most of our leaders, as I witnessed, at the Friendship Hall in Khartoum, venue of the congress on February 23rd, was how to share the spoils of power on the CAF and FIFA executive committees – primarily for personal benefit, rather than for the interests of the larger commonwealth.
The night before the poll saw most of the contestants in late night caucus “meetings” lasting into the early morning.
Even paid officials of the CAF secretariat, who are supposed to be above the political fray, got their hands dirty in the politicking.
One particular official went as far as working against his own country’s interests, making a 3am visit to a member of his country’s delegation on February 22nd, to convince him to advice his candidate to step down, as the paid CAF official was in support of Algeria’s Mohamed Raouroua.
Whilst the secretaries of the various regional football groupings, like WAFU, COSAFA and CECAFA, delivered uninspiring reports, not a single proposal for the betterment of African football was on the agenda, discussed or raised by any federation president at the congress!
Omari Selemani, the president of the DR Congo Federation - who was the only national FA president to rise to the podium – sang the praises, sycophantically, of CAF president Issa Hayatou, rather than discuss the burning issues that really matter. It was, from my viewpoint, a nauseating sight.
But none of the frightened or financially compromised federation presidents (by petrodollars from the Arabian Gulf, in order to sway their vote to a particular FIFA exco candidate) had the courage to stand up before their colleagues and tell the African football family the bitter truth about the parlous state of our game, which is in desperate need of repair.
And for Hayatou, who will have served an unprecedented 25 years as CAF president, by the time his current tenure expires in 2013, there is no doubt that his health is failing.
Having bumped into him several times at Khartoum’s imposing Burj El Fateh hotel, where we both stayed, it is evident that, at 65, he no longer has the vitality and drive needed for this pressure-cooker job.
One can only hope that his comments in a recent interview with Radio France International, in which he said “it's time to think about standing down and leaving”, are genuine.
Without doubt, Hayatou’s done some good things for Africa. But it’s high time he takes an honourable bow and leaves the stage, before finding himself in the maelstrom of a popular revolt, which, inevitably, will consume him.
I vividly recall Hayatou telling me seven years ago - March 1st 2004 to be precise - in the back of a London black taxi cab (Mali’s Amadou Diakhite and Tunisia’s Slim Aloulou, both banned by FIFA, witnessed this conversation) that he had no intention of staying in his position for 25 years. But we all know the end to that story.
Disgruntled and dismayed, as the African game goes adrift, it is time for the men of intellect, vision, integrity and drive to seize the political initiative.
They can no longer moan from the sidelines and expect the staid, conservative old order to willingly hand over the reins of power they have injudiciously wielded, to their selfish benefit, for decades. As the legendary Kwame Nkrumah famously said, “seek ye first the political kingdom and all other things will be added to you.”
Only a concerted and sustained plan by the “progressives”, to win the CAF presidency in 2013, will kick start the managerial revolution that will set African football on a course enabling it to conquer the summit of the global game.
There is a man, from the southern part of the continent (his name should be pretty obvious), who is eminently qualified to lead the charge and forge a dynamic agenda. But he’s yet to throw his hat into the CAF presidential ring.
So, will this man and true lovers of the African game, with balls, (pardon the pun) please stand up? The battle for African football’s soul has just begun…
The piece is replicated below.
African football needs radical change – fast!
By Osasu Obayiuwana
My romance with football – as a journalist and broadcaster – began 24 years ago. It is truly amazing how swiftly the bird of time can fly.
Every dream and ambition I had as a “wet-eared” football journalist has been realised – I’ve covered World Cups and several international tournaments, great African and European club matches, had enlightening conversations with the game’s elite players and officials, as well as having a platform to put my views across to a global audience.
But the game brings me little joy in these troubled times, as the stench of ineptitude, inertia and nepotism, particularly in the African game, puts me – and many of us that deeply care about its future – in a state of despondence and militancy.
The guardians of our game – the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and its 53 member national associations across the continent (South Sudan will become CAF’s 54th member, after its formal commencement as a sovereign state in July) – are frighteningly unaware, or unconcerned, about the precarious state our game is in and an urgent need to chart a course that will halt our rapid decline.
While there’s no question that the 2010 World Cup finals, organised by South Africa, was a resounding success and a credit to the skills of the Local Organising Committee, led by CEO Danny Jordaan, Africa’s performance on the pitch was pathetic.
Five out of our six representatives – Algeria, Cameroon, Cote D’Ivoire, Nigeria and South Africa – fell at the first hurdle, with Ghana’s Black Stars bearing, creditably, the onerous burden of saving Africa from total shame.
With that in mind, I assumed CAF’s 33rd Ordinary General Assembly in Khartoum, Sudan – the birthplace of CAF in 1957 – would provide the perfect forum for the continent’s football mandarins to take an unvarnished, brutally honest look at where we are and what we must do to clean up our mess. The World Cup finals is the benchmark by which the quality of the national and continental game is measured. And on that score, we’re failing miserably.
African football has not moved a single inch beyond the quarter-final Rubicon, crossed by Cameroon’s Indomitable Lions at the 1990 World Cup finals in Italy – twenty one long years ago. Is this a situation of which we can be proud?
How do we continue to tolerate a situation where the Cup of Nations finals offers a measly $1.5 million to the winner and much less to the rest, making the most prestigious tournament in Africa a financial drain pipe on national associations – as the cost of qualifying for the tournament far exceeds the winnings on offer?
Or circumstances where CAF’s committee for ethics and fair play was presided over by a man – the disgraced Amos Adamu – whose conduct and career record has been, to all that know him, anything but ethical, as he ponders the possibility of criminal trial in a Nigerian court?
The only thing that really mattered to most of our leaders, as I witnessed, at the Friendship Hall in Khartoum, venue of the congress on February 23rd, was how to share the spoils of power on the CAF and FIFA executive committees – primarily for personal benefit, rather than for the interests of the larger commonwealth.
The night before the poll saw most of the contestants in late night caucus “meetings” lasting into the early morning.
Even paid officials of the CAF secretariat, who are supposed to be above the political fray, got their hands dirty in the politicking.
One particular official went as far as working against his own country’s interests, making a 3am visit to a member of his country’s delegation on February 22nd, to convince him to advice his candidate to step down, as the paid CAF official was in support of Algeria’s Mohamed Raouroua.
Whilst the secretaries of the various regional football groupings, like WAFU, COSAFA and CECAFA, delivered uninspiring reports, not a single proposal for the betterment of African football was on the agenda, discussed or raised by any federation president at the congress!
Omari Selemani, the president of the DR Congo Federation - who was the only national FA president to rise to the podium – sang the praises, sycophantically, of CAF president Issa Hayatou, rather than discuss the burning issues that really matter. It was, from my viewpoint, a nauseating sight.
But none of the frightened or financially compromised federation presidents (by petrodollars from the Arabian Gulf, in order to sway their vote to a particular FIFA exco candidate) had the courage to stand up before their colleagues and tell the African football family the bitter truth about the parlous state of our game, which is in desperate need of repair.
And for Hayatou, who will have served an unprecedented 25 years as CAF president, by the time his current tenure expires in 2013, there is no doubt that his health is failing.
Having bumped into him several times at Khartoum’s imposing Burj El Fateh hotel, where we both stayed, it is evident that, at 65, he no longer has the vitality and drive needed for this pressure-cooker job.
One can only hope that his comments in a recent interview with Radio France International, in which he said “it's time to think about standing down and leaving”, are genuine.
Without doubt, Hayatou’s done some good things for Africa. But it’s high time he takes an honourable bow and leaves the stage, before finding himself in the maelstrom of a popular revolt, which, inevitably, will consume him.
I vividly recall Hayatou telling me seven years ago - March 1st 2004 to be precise - in the back of a London black taxi cab (Mali’s Amadou Diakhite and Tunisia’s Slim Aloulou, both banned by FIFA, witnessed this conversation) that he had no intention of staying in his position for 25 years. But we all know the end to that story.
Disgruntled and dismayed, as the African game goes adrift, it is time for the men of intellect, vision, integrity and drive to seize the political initiative.
They can no longer moan from the sidelines and expect the staid, conservative old order to willingly hand over the reins of power they have injudiciously wielded, to their selfish benefit, for decades. As the legendary Kwame Nkrumah famously said, “seek ye first the political kingdom and all other things will be added to you.”
Only a concerted and sustained plan by the “progressives”, to win the CAF presidency in 2013, will kick start the managerial revolution that will set African football on a course enabling it to conquer the summit of the global game.
There is a man, from the southern part of the continent (his name should be pretty obvious), who is eminently qualified to lead the charge and forge a dynamic agenda. But he’s yet to throw his hat into the CAF presidential ring.
So, will this man and true lovers of the African game, with balls, (pardon the pun) please stand up? The battle for African football’s soul has just begun…
The Hypocrisy of the GOC Saga
Just when we thought the nation’s troubles with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) were nearing an end, the former President of the now defunct Ghana Olympic Committee (GOC) B. T. Baba has muddied the waters with claims that the proposed amendment to the SMCD 54 (the National Sports Law) does not satisfy the Olympic Charter.
Mr. Baba contends that the New Sports regulation LI 1988 does not guarantee the total independence of the Ghana Olympic Committee because section 42 of the parent law (SMCD 54) still permits the Minister to revise the law and that invalidates everything that the new L.I. seeks to do.
Never mind that any proposed changes to a LI by a minister must be reviewed and approved by parliament. That is, no minister can arbitrarily change an existing legislative instrument without parliamentary oversight.
By Mr. Baba’s logic no law passed in Ghana will be good enough for the IOC because proposed changes can be initiated by an individual.
In a letter addressed to the Subsidiary Legislation Committee of Parliament titled RE: New Sports Regulations, LI 1988, Mr. Baba described the latest action as “mere window dressing by the government.”
This comes after the Ministry of Youth and Sports presented to Parliament a new Legislative Instrument (LI) to replace the old LI 1088 based on the Sports Law SMDC 54 in consonance with the statues of International Federations (IF) and in line with the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) charter.
The new LI mandates democratic elections onto all National Sports Associations in line with their respective International Federations (IF) and by extension the IOC Charter while ensuring autonomy for sports associations in the country.
In the face of the above petition by Mr. Baba, there is a need to take a critical look at the merits and demerits of his case.
1. Does Mr. Baba have the locus to present himself as President of the GOC?
2. Is Mr. Baba’s assertion that section 42 of the parent law (SMCD 54) grants power to arbitrarily change the law a sound interpretation of the law?
3. When IOC gave Ghana the roadmap, did it ask Mr. Baba to supervise and approve the mechanism through which Ghana becomes compliant with the IOC Charter?
(i) MIS-REPRESENTATION BY BABA?
It will be recalled that the IOC suspended Ghana from its organisation on 13th January, 2011 because the country’s sports law does not respect the provisions of the Olympic Charter. Thus, for all practical purposes, Ghana no longer has a national Olympic committee. Neither Ghana nor Mr. Baba can claim such an organization while our “license” is revoked.
So it is very interesting that Mr. Baba presented himself as the President of the Ghana Olympic Committee in his letter to Parliament dated 15th February, 2011. Presenting himself as such seems like a misrepresentation of his current position.
It creates an air of authority that neither Ghana, as a country, or IOC for that manner currently recognizes. Ghana is currently suspended from the Olympic Movement.
Unfortunately Mr. Baba continues to conflate his role in helping to move Ghana sports forward. Throughout this saga, he has portrayed himself the IOC gatekeeper in Ghana and continues to do so.
What else explains his rational for copying (CC) IOC on his letter to parliament? At best, it demonstrates his limited understanding of Ghana’s predicament with IOC and his role as things currently stand.
At worse, this could be interpreted as ploy to intimidate members of parliament into believing IOC tacitly disapproves of the manner in which Ghana intends to get back into compliance.
IS SECTION 42 OF THE SMCD 54 A BARRIER TO IOC COMPLIANCE?
Again it is Mr. Baba position that section 42 of the SMCD 54, which permits the Minister to revise the sports law, invalidates everything about the new Legislative instrument (LI).
Indeed, Mr. Baba suggests on page three of his petition that the new regulation does not debar the minister from making future proposals under section 42 of the SMCD 54 to replace the new LI 1988!
Again, Mr. Baba’s premise and logic is seriously flawed. First, section 42 of SMCD 54 only gives the minister the power to propose revisions. Almost all sports ministers and or ministries in the modern world lead the initiative to revise national sports law when and if required.
The power to initiate or propose revision does not amount to arbitrary changes to the law whenever a minister chooses. Indeed, similar to other democratic nations, Ghana’s constitution provides the necessary checks and balances.
Any proposed LI changes, including those related to sports, must go through parliament and be approved.
They also typically pass through the Attorney General’s office, as that is where they are drafted. During the time they are laid in parliament they also offer the opportunity to stakeholders and citizens to comment on the law (as in the current opportunity Mr. Baba is taking advantage of now).
Thus the ultimate power to cause change lies with parliament not the sports minister. This is such a fundamental misunderstanding of the legislative process from Mr. Baba’s end.
It is also erroneous for Mr. Baba to suggest that a revision will be useful only insofar as it can never ever be changed. Not even IOC’s own constitution is immune to change. Or, will Mr. Baba in the near future accuse the IOC of window dressing if IOC’s President, as an individual, proposes constitutional change for consideration at its general assembly?
Effectively, Mr. Baba seems to want a law that can, subsequently, never be changed. Even the entrenched clauses in our national constitution can be changed, albeit after a very rigorous process. How can we write a law that can never be changed?
After what the nation has gone through since the 30th June, 2009 GOC elections, it is almost unthinkable that a particular political group or a law maker would propose reverting to the old Legislative Instrument, or to a situation where Ghana once again appoint officers to associations, if the New LI is passed into Law.
Moreover, Mr. Baba’s attempt to link Ghana’s suspension by the IOC to our inability to pass a New Sports Bill is, at the very least, quite strange.
The veteran administrator implicitly suggested that because the IOC suspension letter explicitly faulted Ghana for not passing the Sports Bill (despite our promise to do so), any attempt to change our legislation that doesn't involve the Sports Bill will not satisfy the IOC’s conditions.
However, a look at the IOC’s correspondence with the Ministry of Youth and Sports, and in particular the “Road Map”, reveals that it is the language of our current sports legislation that is problematic (and they likely explicitly referred to the Sports Bill only because the former Minister of Youth and Sports erroneously promised that it would be passed by December 2010).
But, what if Ghana acceded to his wishes and wrote a law that could not be changed by anyone and, five years from now, IOC revises their charter in a way that requires our law to be revised again? How would we then revise the law that we have cemented in unchangeable stone? We would be stuck.
The revised LI under review in Parliament right now, does all things the IOC has asked Ghana to do. The process of revising an LI requires parliamentary oversight and approval.
Thus, no minister can wake up one morning and arbitrarily decide to the change the sports regulations in Ghana. Mr. Baba need not be afraid of that, if that is really what his concern is.
CONTROVERSY OVER B.T. BABA’S ROLE IN ASSOCIATION ELECTIONS
One other issue which Mr. Baba continues to use as an additional reason for not accepting the new legislation is the issue of supervision of the recent elections for the various associations following the IOC’s intervention.
First of all, no matter how many times Mr. Baba goes back to this, it is no longer an issue of contention for IOC, and this is proven by the IOC’s letter. Indeed, their letter of 13th January, 2011, suspending Ghana makes absolutely no mention of this, and only refers to the need to revise our sports legislation.
In his letter to parliament, he stated that the IOC Road Map recommended that elections be conducted democratically and supervised by the executive of the GOC. The assertion of supervision by the executive of GOC is a gross misrepresentation of the facts.
In Section 2a of the IOC roadmap letter of November 25, 2009, the IOC explicitly states “the NFs (i.e., the associations) should hold elections of their leaders as soon as possible under the supervision of their respective International Federations (IF)”.
What this means is that the Ghana Hockey Association, for example, was supposed to conduct elections under the auspices of the FIH (Federation of International Hockey), not the GOC.
The IOC in section 2b concedes that “recognition by the IFs is the condition for being considered legitimate within the Olympic Movement”. In other words, recognition of a Ghanaian sports association is the purview of the International Federation for that sport not IOC. Are we to believe Mr. Baba has the power to claim a mandate that even IOC considers outside its purview?
WHERE THINGS STAND
Well, the Subsidiary Legislation Committee of Parliament is due to invite Mr. Baba for a meeting on his petition at a later date but the clock is ticking as we count down the 21 day notice before the new sports legislative instrument LI 1988 becomes Law.
Surely, Mr. Baba cannot be saying he doesn't want this legislation that will bring Ghana in full compliance with the IOC charter and help lift the cloud of the Olympic suspension. Or could it be that his real want is for Ghana to remain suspended?
Some have suggested that if he can ensure we stay suspended for a few more months until 2012, then he is the one who could lead Ghana to London once the suspension is lifted, because there may not be enough time to hold a GOC election before the Games.
I hope this is not true and that Mr. Baba is not thinking about self over nation; but then, for 14 years he did absolutely nothing to get Ghana to move in the direction of democratic associations, not even when the chance presented itself in 2008 as we all witnessed when athletics stakeholders wanted to take their sport to a congress.
Now, since 2009, guess who has repositioned himself as the staunchest advocate of democratic associations? Wonders will never cease! Mr. Baba, come again!
No law is meant to be set in stone; not even IOC’s constitution.
Therefore from a logical perspective, questioning the standard democratic process for repealing and replacing outdated legislative instruments is a questionable move.
To call the effort to bring Ghana into full compliance with the IOC Charter “window dressing,” indicates an aversion to the LI itself and by extension the IOC Charter. The litmus test should be the nature of the content of LI 1988.
This is where B. T. Baba should focus his energy. But if he has already reviewed the content and the only fault he could find is the process, then I humbly ask Mr. Baba to move his stopped car off the road. It is time for Ghana sports to move forward.
Mr. Baba contends that the New Sports regulation LI 1988 does not guarantee the total independence of the Ghana Olympic Committee because section 42 of the parent law (SMCD 54) still permits the Minister to revise the law and that invalidates everything that the new L.I. seeks to do.
Never mind that any proposed changes to a LI by a minister must be reviewed and approved by parliament. That is, no minister can arbitrarily change an existing legislative instrument without parliamentary oversight.
By Mr. Baba’s logic no law passed in Ghana will be good enough for the IOC because proposed changes can be initiated by an individual.
In a letter addressed to the Subsidiary Legislation Committee of Parliament titled RE: New Sports Regulations, LI 1988, Mr. Baba described the latest action as “mere window dressing by the government.”
This comes after the Ministry of Youth and Sports presented to Parliament a new Legislative Instrument (LI) to replace the old LI 1088 based on the Sports Law SMDC 54 in consonance with the statues of International Federations (IF) and in line with the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) charter.
The new LI mandates democratic elections onto all National Sports Associations in line with their respective International Federations (IF) and by extension the IOC Charter while ensuring autonomy for sports associations in the country.
In the face of the above petition by Mr. Baba, there is a need to take a critical look at the merits and demerits of his case.
1. Does Mr. Baba have the locus to present himself as President of the GOC?
2. Is Mr. Baba’s assertion that section 42 of the parent law (SMCD 54) grants power to arbitrarily change the law a sound interpretation of the law?
3. When IOC gave Ghana the roadmap, did it ask Mr. Baba to supervise and approve the mechanism through which Ghana becomes compliant with the IOC Charter?
(i) MIS-REPRESENTATION BY BABA?
It will be recalled that the IOC suspended Ghana from its organisation on 13th January, 2011 because the country’s sports law does not respect the provisions of the Olympic Charter. Thus, for all practical purposes, Ghana no longer has a national Olympic committee. Neither Ghana nor Mr. Baba can claim such an organization while our “license” is revoked.
So it is very interesting that Mr. Baba presented himself as the President of the Ghana Olympic Committee in his letter to Parliament dated 15th February, 2011. Presenting himself as such seems like a misrepresentation of his current position.
It creates an air of authority that neither Ghana, as a country, or IOC for that manner currently recognizes. Ghana is currently suspended from the Olympic Movement.
Unfortunately Mr. Baba continues to conflate his role in helping to move Ghana sports forward. Throughout this saga, he has portrayed himself the IOC gatekeeper in Ghana and continues to do so.
What else explains his rational for copying (CC) IOC on his letter to parliament? At best, it demonstrates his limited understanding of Ghana’s predicament with IOC and his role as things currently stand.
At worse, this could be interpreted as ploy to intimidate members of parliament into believing IOC tacitly disapproves of the manner in which Ghana intends to get back into compliance.
IS SECTION 42 OF THE SMCD 54 A BARRIER TO IOC COMPLIANCE?
Again it is Mr. Baba position that section 42 of the SMCD 54, which permits the Minister to revise the sports law, invalidates everything about the new Legislative instrument (LI).
Indeed, Mr. Baba suggests on page three of his petition that the new regulation does not debar the minister from making future proposals under section 42 of the SMCD 54 to replace the new LI 1988!
Again, Mr. Baba’s premise and logic is seriously flawed. First, section 42 of SMCD 54 only gives the minister the power to propose revisions. Almost all sports ministers and or ministries in the modern world lead the initiative to revise national sports law when and if required.
The power to initiate or propose revision does not amount to arbitrary changes to the law whenever a minister chooses. Indeed, similar to other democratic nations, Ghana’s constitution provides the necessary checks and balances.
Any proposed LI changes, including those related to sports, must go through parliament and be approved.
They also typically pass through the Attorney General’s office, as that is where they are drafted. During the time they are laid in parliament they also offer the opportunity to stakeholders and citizens to comment on the law (as in the current opportunity Mr. Baba is taking advantage of now).
Thus the ultimate power to cause change lies with parliament not the sports minister. This is such a fundamental misunderstanding of the legislative process from Mr. Baba’s end.
It is also erroneous for Mr. Baba to suggest that a revision will be useful only insofar as it can never ever be changed. Not even IOC’s own constitution is immune to change. Or, will Mr. Baba in the near future accuse the IOC of window dressing if IOC’s President, as an individual, proposes constitutional change for consideration at its general assembly?
Effectively, Mr. Baba seems to want a law that can, subsequently, never be changed. Even the entrenched clauses in our national constitution can be changed, albeit after a very rigorous process. How can we write a law that can never be changed?
After what the nation has gone through since the 30th June, 2009 GOC elections, it is almost unthinkable that a particular political group or a law maker would propose reverting to the old Legislative Instrument, or to a situation where Ghana once again appoint officers to associations, if the New LI is passed into Law.
Moreover, Mr. Baba’s attempt to link Ghana’s suspension by the IOC to our inability to pass a New Sports Bill is, at the very least, quite strange.
The veteran administrator implicitly suggested that because the IOC suspension letter explicitly faulted Ghana for not passing the Sports Bill (despite our promise to do so), any attempt to change our legislation that doesn't involve the Sports Bill will not satisfy the IOC’s conditions.
However, a look at the IOC’s correspondence with the Ministry of Youth and Sports, and in particular the “Road Map”, reveals that it is the language of our current sports legislation that is problematic (and they likely explicitly referred to the Sports Bill only because the former Minister of Youth and Sports erroneously promised that it would be passed by December 2010).
But, what if Ghana acceded to his wishes and wrote a law that could not be changed by anyone and, five years from now, IOC revises their charter in a way that requires our law to be revised again? How would we then revise the law that we have cemented in unchangeable stone? We would be stuck.
The revised LI under review in Parliament right now, does all things the IOC has asked Ghana to do. The process of revising an LI requires parliamentary oversight and approval.
Thus, no minister can wake up one morning and arbitrarily decide to the change the sports regulations in Ghana. Mr. Baba need not be afraid of that, if that is really what his concern is.
CONTROVERSY OVER B.T. BABA’S ROLE IN ASSOCIATION ELECTIONS
One other issue which Mr. Baba continues to use as an additional reason for not accepting the new legislation is the issue of supervision of the recent elections for the various associations following the IOC’s intervention.
First of all, no matter how many times Mr. Baba goes back to this, it is no longer an issue of contention for IOC, and this is proven by the IOC’s letter. Indeed, their letter of 13th January, 2011, suspending Ghana makes absolutely no mention of this, and only refers to the need to revise our sports legislation.
In his letter to parliament, he stated that the IOC Road Map recommended that elections be conducted democratically and supervised by the executive of the GOC. The assertion of supervision by the executive of GOC is a gross misrepresentation of the facts.
In Section 2a of the IOC roadmap letter of November 25, 2009, the IOC explicitly states “the NFs (i.e., the associations) should hold elections of their leaders as soon as possible under the supervision of their respective International Federations (IF)”.
What this means is that the Ghana Hockey Association, for example, was supposed to conduct elections under the auspices of the FIH (Federation of International Hockey), not the GOC.
The IOC in section 2b concedes that “recognition by the IFs is the condition for being considered legitimate within the Olympic Movement”. In other words, recognition of a Ghanaian sports association is the purview of the International Federation for that sport not IOC. Are we to believe Mr. Baba has the power to claim a mandate that even IOC considers outside its purview?
WHERE THINGS STAND
Well, the Subsidiary Legislation Committee of Parliament is due to invite Mr. Baba for a meeting on his petition at a later date but the clock is ticking as we count down the 21 day notice before the new sports legislative instrument LI 1988 becomes Law.
Surely, Mr. Baba cannot be saying he doesn't want this legislation that will bring Ghana in full compliance with the IOC charter and help lift the cloud of the Olympic suspension. Or could it be that his real want is for Ghana to remain suspended?
Some have suggested that if he can ensure we stay suspended for a few more months until 2012, then he is the one who could lead Ghana to London once the suspension is lifted, because there may not be enough time to hold a GOC election before the Games.
I hope this is not true and that Mr. Baba is not thinking about self over nation; but then, for 14 years he did absolutely nothing to get Ghana to move in the direction of democratic associations, not even when the chance presented itself in 2008 as we all witnessed when athletics stakeholders wanted to take their sport to a congress.
Now, since 2009, guess who has repositioned himself as the staunchest advocate of democratic associations? Wonders will never cease! Mr. Baba, come again!
No law is meant to be set in stone; not even IOC’s constitution.
Therefore from a logical perspective, questioning the standard democratic process for repealing and replacing outdated legislative instruments is a questionable move.
To call the effort to bring Ghana into full compliance with the IOC Charter “window dressing,” indicates an aversion to the LI itself and by extension the IOC Charter. The litmus test should be the nature of the content of LI 1988.
This is where B. T. Baba should focus his energy. But if he has already reviewed the content and the only fault he could find is the process, then I humbly ask Mr. Baba to move his stopped car off the road. It is time for Ghana sports to move forward.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)