Minister for Youth and Sports, Mustapha Ussif, has charged the Ghana Football Association (GFA), custodians of the various national teams, to as a matter of obligation, account to the people of Ghana for its stewardship of the teams.
“You must disclose any transactions, memorandums of understanding, sponsorship packages, and agreements entered, being it foreign or local.”
Addressing the 28th ordinary session of the GFA congress at the Ghanaman Centre of Excellence at Prampram on Tuesday, the Minister – who was the Special Guest of Honour, said as the state has entrusted the GFA with the management of national teams, it is equally respecting to let the people of Ghana in on how they are managing them.
According to him, this is extremely crucial as Ghana prepares for Qatar 2022.
“The Black Stars will be supported by the state, and all resources which would be used must be fully accounted for to the satisfaction of the good people of Ghana.”
Mr Yussif noted that whilst his outfit was not expected to intervene in the FA’s internal affairs, it does owe Ghanaians the obligation of holding the FA accountable.
“We remain dedicated to cooperating with the FA in an open and equitable manner to foster excellent relationships, which are essential for the successful execution of our respective duties.
“Also, let’s endeavour to promote good governance in the management of the affairs of football in Ghana and beyond by upholding the principles of efficiency, effectiveness, accountability, and equity,” he stressed.
The Minister also used the occasion to announce that his office had introduced an Insurance policy for all the various national teams.
“We have started this initiative with the Black Satellites team, where an agreement has been signed between the Ministry and Glico Pensions Trustee Company Limited on the Provident Fund Scheme. We have paid the premium USD $130,000 on behalf of the 26 players to GLICO, representing USD $5,000 for each player.
“This policy seeks to secure the future of our footballers so that after their retirement, they can continue to live a dignified life,” he disclosed.
He applauded the GFA for its handling of the recent match-fixing scandal that hit the Ghana Premier League, stating that while that might be unfortunate, the FA’s prompt measures to ensure that the perpetrators were brought to justice, is a step in the right direction.
“It is my firm belief that success can only be obtained through hard work and fair play, not through any other means,” he added.
BY RAYMOND ACKUMEY
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