IOC Punches Government
Plans by some elements within the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) to politicize the Ghana Olympic Committee (GOC) has been thwarted by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
A correspondence fired by the IOC president Jacques Rogge, to the Minister of Youth and Sports , with a covering letter to President John Evans Atta Mills, indicated that the world body is very much concerned about the current conflict within the Olympic Movement in Ghana.
Readers would recall that soon after the NDC took over the reigns of government, some elements within the ruling party began moves to uproot the current GOC Boss, Benson Tongo Baba.
In this direction, letters were surreptitiously issued to NDC activists as executives of the various national sports associations, and these persons were inducted secretly at the Ohene Djan Stadium in Accra on the eve of the GOC Congress, after which they were instructed to vote Prof Francis Dodoo as the new GOC boss.
At the congress the following day, confusion erupted when a Presidential Staffer, Nii Lante Vanderpuije, interfered with the registration of delegates, prompting Mr. B.T. Baba to call off the event. But Nii Lante went ahead with the congress, electing Prof Dodoo and others as executive members of the GOC.
Meanwhile, Mr B.T. Baba and his team continued to hold and consider themselves as the legitimate executive members of the committee, and in the midst of the confusion, the IOC threatened to ban Ghana from the Olympics Family.
The situation prompted a visit to the country by officials of the IOC and Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa (ANOCA) from November 2 to 4, 2009, following which the IOC Boss, Jacques Rogge, sent a letter to Hon titled: “Situation of the Ghana Olympic Committee and Olympic Movement”.
The document stated: “From the different meetings conducted with the IOC-ASOIF-ANOCA delegation, it was clear that the various parties concerned are willing to resolve this conflict situation as soon as possible in a positive and constructive manner.”
The IOC Boss therefore asked the Ministry of Sports “to ensure that the autonomy of the Olympic and sports movement in Ghana is respected”.
He maintained that “until the GOC elective General Assembly can be held in compliance with these principles, the IOC and ANOCA will continue to recognise the outgoing GOC President, Mr Baba and the outgoing Executive Committee, which will be responsible for the implementation of this GOC electoral process, in the framework of the GOC statutes in force (approved by the IOC), and of the Olympic Charter, under the supervision of the IOC and ANOCA.
The outgoing Executive Committee under Mr Baba's leadership shall be given the means to continue working normally during this period. In particular, the NOC office and facilities shall be returned to them.
“We firmly believe that the current situation is a unique opportunity to review the entire framework of sports structures in Ghana by moving to a system of fair, democratic and transparent elections at all levels of the sports organisations in Ghana, in accordance with the applicable and respective rules of the International Sports Federations to which the national sports federations are affiliated.”
Finally, the IOC Boss stated that the Ministry of Sports should guarantee that the situation is resolved as soon as possible “if the national sports organisations in Ghana wish to continue being part of the Olympic Movement at international level”.
In an interview with DAILY GUIDE SPORTS, B.T. Baba stressed that the IOC's directives were in the right direction, as it would put the GOC back on track.
“We are now waiting for the Ministry of Sports to implement the IOC directives as per the road map.”
He added that before the GOC General Assembly however, the old executives of the national sports associations that were 'illegally dismissed' would be recalled and asked to revise their constitutions and hold congresses.