Anas Exposé: The President’s Address

Ghanaians are still reeling from the harrowing, staggering and astonishing revelations of racketeering and financial malfeasance in Ghana’s football administration. Many were shocked and incensed after the premiere of the much-awaited jaw-dropping Anas exposé, the #Number 12. “Sad, evil, shocking” were few adjectives used to describe the grand corruption in the video. I will add ‘devilish’.

The exposé which visibly shook some viewers shows pitiless, callous and greedy football officials who don’t care a hoot about the emotions and lives of the many staunch football fans. I’m I getting angry? Rightly so! In the midst of this kerfuffle however, the pronouncement of one man can placate the growing anger – he’s the President of the Republic of Ghana, Nana Akufo Addo. If I were President Akufo Addo, I wouldn’t say “all officials exposed in the Anas video will be punished”. NO! That’s still talking! As the president, this would have been my address today, June 7, 2018, a day after the broadcast of the exposé:

.“My fellow Ghanaians, I want to apologise to you all for a critical decision that I need to make today following the Anas video. I’m expressing this regret because I know Ghanaians are football-loving people, and this decision will affect you one way or the other. But I believe that you are all deeply saddened and annoyed, just like me, about the intolerable level of grand corruption in our football administration. At this point, the trust, confidence and integrity of the GFA have disappeared. The quagmire that has rocked our football administration right now requires critical reforms to overhaul the administration.

“Fellow Ghanaians, on this note, I have with immediate effect disbanded the GFA. I have directed the CID to take over the GFA (before Nyantakyi takes over). I have also directed that all bank accounts of exposed officials be frozen pending full investigations (I doubt though whether they will survive with this glaring and shocking revelations). Their assets will be ceased when investigations are concluded. I have also asked the CID to with immediate effect arrest all exposed officials, conclude investigations within two weeks and arraigned them for speedy prosecution. I don’t know whether FIFA will call this interference and ban Ghana football. I will welcome any action FIFA decides to take.

“Whiles this is an unfortunate situation, I think this presents us with the fine opportunity to restore confidence, trust and integrity, revamp our football administration and our football which is in tatters to place Ghana football on the pedestal it deserves. Thank you and God bless Ghana!”

Mr. President, the traditional way of treating corrupt officials with kid gloves is no more tenable. It reflects the mess we find ourselves in. We can decide to continue to tread on the same Stone Age method of fighting against corruption – following torturous and never-ending court processes even in the face of glaring and speaking evidence. WE WILL NEVER WIN!

A ‘Hawkish Approach’ is the only way we can end corruption in Ghana!

By Richard Opoku
Development Practitioner, Rights and Anti-Corruption Campaigner