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03.09.2010 General News

Prez Okays PIC For GFA

By Timothy Gobah - Daily Graphic
President John Evans Atta MillsPresident John Evans Atta Mills
03.09.2010 LISTEN

on Wednesday returned from Switzerland and gave an assurance that proper steps would be taken by his administration to establish the Public Interest Committee (PIC) to oversee the disbursement of funds invested in football by the state.

President Mills, who was once a sports administrator, said “this committee should be established as soon as possible. I will make sure that moves are made as soon as possible to have this set up'.

Addressing journalists at the Kotoka International Airport (KIA), the President agreed to the call by individuals and corporate bodies to establish the committee to ensure probity and accountability in the management of the various national teams.


The President paid a three-day official visit to Switzerland during which he held bilateral talks with his Swiss counterpart, Mrs Doris Leuthard, in Bern, met with FIFA officials at the FIFA House and also interacted with the Ghanaian and Swiss business communities.

During an interaction between President Mills and Mr Joseph Sepp Blatter, the President of FIFA, the President raised the issue of whether or not demanding accountability from the Ghana Football Association (GFA) amounted to interference.

Mr Blatter was said to have indicated that demanding accountability from the GFA did not amount to any interference but rather strengthened the government’s resolve to ensure transparency and accountability in the various national teams .

President Mills described the trip a successful one in which he took time to interact with reliable business partners, who expressed their commitment to invest in various sectors of the economy.


“I was elated at the response from both Ghanaians and other investors, an indication of good things to come,' he stated.

On the recent Atiwa bye-election, he said the National Democratic Congress (NDC) was well aware that the constituency was the stronghold of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) but went in to make a point by reducing the margin in the previous election.

Additionally, he said, in any competition there must be a winner and a loser and commended the constituents for their gallant fight.

President Mills, however, served the warning to the NPP that the recent results should not send them into delusion that they would win the 2012 election.

'Let me then serve the warning to the NPP that in 2012, we will give them a run for their money,' he said.

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