Few weeks after FIFA banned the Nigeria Football
Federation, NFF, sacking the entire Football Association, the world soccer
governing body is now threatening to replicate the sanctions on Ghana.
This follows the Ghana government’s
establishment of a Commission to inquire into events leading to the abysmal
performance of the senior national team, the Black Stars as well as backroom
events that put the country in the line of international ridicule.
Sahara Reporters reports; The Black Stars
stumbled out of Brazil 2014 despite being perhaps Africa’s most fancied side
after a player revolt that saw a player assaulting an official, a
dismissal of 2 key players and the government flying in $3m do appease them
before they played their last group stage match against Portugal. They lost
that game 2-1 but each player had earlier been paid a whopping $100,000 each in
appearance fees.
Back home from the tournament, the government
instituted a 3-member committee comprising Appeal Court Judge, Justice Senyo
Dzamefe, Sports Administrator and legal practitioner, Moses Foh Amoaning and
Kofi Anokye Darko to look into the events of an unsuccessful campaign. Days
after the institution of the committee, Minister for Youth and Sports, Mahama
Ayariga, who himself has been brought in to replace the Sports Minister who led
the team to Brazil, announced government’s decision to upgrade the Committee
into a Commission, thus giving it powers to summon people to appear before it.
“I have monitored social media and media
discussions since the Committee was set up. I had a meeting with the President
and he has agreed that we should turn it into a Presidential Commission of
Enquiry” he said. Mr. Ayariga buttressed his point, by quoting Article 278 of
the 1992 Constitution which empowers the President to appoint a Commission of
Enquiry to investigate any matter he (President) deems necessary. FIFA however
seems not amused at what it considers ‘interference’.
Sub-section (g) of Article 13 of FIFA
Statutes dealing with Members’ obligation states clearly that: “Members have an
obligation to manage their affairs independently and ensure that their own
affairs are not influenced by any third parties; to comply fully with all other
duties arising from these Statutes and other regulations”.
According to Thierry Regenass, FIFA Director
for Member Associations, “FIFA has the mandate to control association football
worldwide, in all its aspects. This mandate is delegated to the national
association, to control association football at the national level. This is
about managing, controlling and developing football as a game and also the
organization of the game in general. The associations have the obligation to do
it on their own, in an autonomous way without outside interference, from the
government or any other parties”.
In line with this, the world football
authority has written to the Ghanaian FA enquiring about the nature of the
government probe. In a three-paragraph letter, FIFA questions the Ghana
Football Association on the composition and competences of the Commission set
up by Government.
The letter signed by Deputy General
Secretary, Markus Kattner reads:
“We have learnt from media reports that the
Presidency of the Republic of Ghana has appointed a Committee of Enquiry and
Investigation into the Black Stars’ participation to the 2014 FIFA World cup in
Brazil. The composition and the competences of the said Commission are unclear.
Provided the reports are true we deem it important to clarify from the
beginning the procedures and to ensure that the GFA can operate without
interference as required by FIFA statutes. Under this circumstance we kindly
ask you to provide us with a report at your earliest convenience”.
There is an ongoing debate about how much
‘interference’ should be allowed with a popular sentiment that ‘he who pays the
piper calls the tune”.
An enraged sports analyst wrote on his
Facebook page: “How the hell does the government fund the game and still has no
say??? That clause in the FIFA constitution should be challenged. It’s utter
NONSENSE!”
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