OPINION: Football Autonomy Would Do With a Ghalca Clean-Up

You may loathe or admire the association and its membership. The Ghana League Clubs Association has been part and parcel of the promotion and development of football in this country since the1960s when the Organisation of Ghana League Clubs Association (ORGLA) was formed to cater for the welfare of clubs participating in the first division league at the time.

In the beginning, ORGLA was mainly constituted of Accra representatives of the clubs. In 1981, the organization was reconstituted. It was re-christened, the Ghana League Clubs Association (GHALCA).

In a number of ways, the association has changed in both character and in form. In those days, the association had no hand in the composition of the Ghana Football Association, the parent body charged with the promotion, management and development of football in this country.

The Government of the day simply announced in a terse radio and newspaper announcement that so and so a person had been chosen as chairman of the Ghana Football Association. The other members were also announced with the Chairman's appointment. In other words those who took the day to day decisions owed no allegiance to the ORGLA.

Today, the GHALCA is a vital cog of football organization. According to the statutes of the Ghana Football Association, the bible of football promotion in this country, the League Clubs provide the Vice-Chairman of the Ghana Football Association. This clause is being interpreted to mean that it is the GHALCA, which in all fairness, was set up to cater for the welfare of clubs participating in the league, that is the sole body to provide the Vice-Chairman of the GFA. E.A. Owusu-Ansah, the current vice-Chairman of the FA, owes his position to his Vice-chairmanship of the GHALCA.

Apart from the Vice-Chairman, GHALCA nominates one other member to serve on the FA. That position is filled by La Danso of Powerlines fame. One interesting contribution Danso has made to Ghana soccer is an interesting retirement of an impress he held as leader of delegation to the African Youth Championship in Ethiopia last February.

GHALCA fired a deadly warning shot to the Sports Ministry recently. According to Graphic Sports newspaper, GHALCA insiders are seeking total autonomy from the Ministry of Youth and Sports for football promotion in Ghana. The paper did not name its source. But the one and a half column picture of the Chairman of the GHALCA Chairman J.Y. Appiah that went with the story gave an indication that the association had an input into the story.

At an almost full-house meeting this writer had with the executive of GHALCA at lunch-time of Wednesday, August 22, at the Accra Sports Stadium, the impression was very strong that though the association did not officially give information to the writer of the piece in the Graphic sports, GHALCA shared the sentiments expressed. In other words, GHALCA is seeking autonomy for football administration outside the control of the Ministry of Youth and Sports and in for that matter, the Government.

According to J.Y. Appiah, GHALCA Chairman, flanked by his Administrative Manager Kojo Fianoo and his big shots like Messrs Nyatekyi and Quarshie, the clubs welfare body is proposing a gradual approach to autonomy. Initially, GHALCA is demanding that the Ministry's right of getting one of its nominees on the FA voted as chairman of the Ghana Football Association be scrapped. In its place, GHALCA is proposing a free for all election in which all GFA members would be candidates.

"Recently, we (Ghana football) were queried by the FIFA (Federation of International Football Associations), for the delay in constituting the football association as a result of the delay by Government in appointing its representatives, one of whom was voted in as chairman," Appiah said.

FIFA is very clear on the consequences of political interference in football organizations. It is something they do not encourage. Countries have been suspended as a result of political interference.

"The time has come for Ghana football to be more democratic. We need to vote in the chairman we want and not the chairman according to the dictates of the Government."

For the uninitiated in football, the GHALCA Chairman was referring to the circumstances leading to the nomination and consequent installation of Ben Koufie as chairman of the GFA.

Under the statutes governing football administration in this country, the Minister of Youth and Sports, acting on behalf of the Government nominates two persons, one of whom is voted for as Chairman of the FA. The League Clubs nominate two people, one of whom becomes the Vice-Chairman while schools, the universities, and the security organizations together nominate one member onto the Management Board of the FA.

What the GHALCA is proposing is that instead of only the two Government nominees becoming the candidates to contest for the FA chair, the field should be enlarged to include all those nominated onto the FA Management Board.

Newly appointed Minister of Youth and Sports Papa Owusu Ankomah has no problem with the proposal. "The Government would be too eager to leave football alone. But football must show evidence that it can look after itself. I have heard talk of football seeking autonomy. We do not intend to stand in its way. All we are asking for is that football should show evidence that it could look after itself. In the not too distance future, I will call the stake-holders in football to ask them to put forward proposals for the autonomy they are seeking," Papa Ankomah told this writer at his office, from where not too long ago, E.T. Mensah used to dictate to the FA.

The Minister said if football is able to cater for itself, there would be budget surplus to undertake sports development in other disciplines of sports. He said more than 80 percent of sports budget is taken by football. "So if football wants to cater for itself, then it is good news. But then, I want to see a paper detailing how the FA is prepared to take care of the game including all the national teams. When that is done, we will be too glad to wash our hands off football promotion entirely."

At the GHALCA office though, I got the impression that the autonomy the association is seeking for Ghana soccer does not include catering for national teams.

"The Black Stars and their junior counterparts show-case the nation so the state ought to continue to cater for them," a GHALCA executive told this writer. "The Government take all the gate proceeds anytime the Black Stars and the junior teams play. So Government should continue to cater for them."

That is where the GHALCA position contrasts with that of the ministry. The Ministry believes that autonomy should go hand in hand with the ability to cater for the totality of football promotion and management.

At the moment, the GFA is unable to foot the wages of even its employees. The only wage the FA is able to meet in recent times is that of the General Secretary. All other employees including the two Deputy General Secretaries, coaches etc, are funded by the Sports Council. It is therefore a long way from the autonomy the GHALCA is seeking for Ghana football.

Asked what positive contributions GHALCA has made towards the running of football in this country, J.Y. Appiah and his executive listed a number. The GHALCA used to bail out the FA in its difficult moments with money. They have also given money to a number of the country's representatives in continental club contest in Confederation of African Football championships. Quite recently, with footballs selling at more than C200,000 a piece, the GHALCA bought about 20 footballs for the regional second division championships, according to GHALCA officials.

These officials, though, were on the defensive when pinned against the wall that a number of characters have used the forum provided by GHALCA to move into the Ghana Football Association management and used their positions to advance their personal causes against the good of the game.

There is the case of Ade Coker, who was sprung through GHALCA to become Vice-Chairman of the GFA. There is clear evidence that Coker was involved in almost all shady financial deals at the FA. The unfinished business of supplying chairs to the Accra Sports Stadium and Kumasi Sports Stadium with dubious quality is legendry.

The rise of Nana Sam Brew-Burtler to the Chairmanship of the Ghana Football Association through his role as co-Chairmanship of the Local Organizing Committee was through GHALCA.

When Nana led a sub-committee he chaired to the Accra Sports Stadium and submitted a report recommending Additional Works, the sole sourcing of the contract awarded to Arab Contractors could be traced to his leadership of GHALCA at one point in time.

One of the reasons the composition of the FA delayed was GHALCA's insistence that the account rendered by Alhaji M.N.D. Jawula's administration in respect of some $450, 000 received from CAF as well as $250,000 development money advanced to the GFA by FIFA was not up to scratch. Up till now that controversy has not been resolved. Alhaji, though was a product of the same GHALCA.

While the association seeks to bring Ghana in line with FIFA directives, many are those in the game who believe GHALCA needs to acknowledge that the association has been a bad influence on the evolution of football management in recent times.

The association would have to begin the clean-up exercise in Ghana football by acknowledging the contributions it has made towards the destructive force that has ruined the game in this country over the years.