The government has dissolved the Ghana Football Association saying it is “shocked and outraged” by the “widespread fraud, corruption, and bribery” that has characterized the association.
The president’s action follows Wednesday’s premiering of a documentary by investigative journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas detailing bribery and corruption associated with football administration in the country.
A statement issued by the Information Minister, Dr. Mustapha Abdul-Hamid admitted that the exposé by the investigative journalist’s Tiger Eye PI team titled “Number 12: When Misconduct and Greed become the Norm” “exposes the gross mal-functioning of the Ghana Football Association”
“Having regard to the widespread nature of the apparent rot involving top GFA officials, top NSA officials, match commissioners, football administrators and referees, Government has decided to take immediate steps to have the GFA dissolved,” the statement established.
The Ghana Police Service has also been requested to delve into the documentary and apply the law where it must be.
In order to sanitise the “rot” within GFA, which has become pervasive, the statement said government has decided that:
- the conduct of all officials of the GFA, together with that of the suspended Acting Director General of the National Sports Authority (NSA), Robert Sarfo Mensah shown in the documentary to be involved in questionable, potentially criminal acts, is, forthwith, referred to the Police for further investigation and appropriate action. The Police are to take all such relevant measures as are necessary to ensure that the contents of the documentary are rapidly and thoroughly investigated;
- having regard to the widespread nature of the apparent rot involving top GFA officials, top NSA officials, match commissioners, football administrators and referees, Government has decided to take immediate steps to have the GFA dissolved. Government will shortly, thereafter. announce provisional measures to govern football activity in the country, until a new body Is duly formed; and
- Government will communicate these decisions to the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and the Federation of International Football Associations (FIFA), and engage with them on these developments to chart a way forward for Ghana football.