Minority Gives Government Ultimatum
To Investigate $25,000 Gift Affair
Minority still on the Nigerian
Governor's 25,000 dollars
No
international statutes on declaration of gifts after football matches
Black
stars captain speaks on $25,000 issue
Aguma
explains gift to Black Stars
Mgbolu
was emphatic that the NFA was not involved in the matter.
FIFA
orders NFA to file defence
NFA
replies query on bribery allegation
Bribery scandal- fall outs from Ghana-Nigeria Cup match?
Black Stars took $25,000 from Nigeria
Minority Gives
Government Ultimatum To Investigate $25,000 Gift Affair
Accra (Greater Accra) 20 November 2001 - The minority in
Ghana's Parliament has given the government a November 30th deadline to set up
an inquiry into the $25,000 gift offered the Black Stars by the Cross-River
State governor of Nigeria. The group says it will invoke all legal and constitutional
instruments available to have the matter investigated and dealt with.
The acceptance of the $25,000 by the Ghana Football
Association (GFA) Chairman with the support of Deputy Youth and Sports
Minister, Joe Aggrey after a July World cup qualifier between the Black Stars
and Super Eagles of Nigeria has attracted a lot of public criticism. The
minority cautions that any attempt to brush aside the unethical actions of Mr
Aggrey and Ben Kuofie will make government’s zero tolerance for corruption
meaningless.
A statement signed by the minority Spokesperson for Youth and Sports, Abugah Pele described the decision by the Executive Council of the GFA to absolve Ben Kuofie of any wrong doing in the $25,000 saga as bogus and fraudulent. The minority contends that the GFA Executive Council’s decision amounts to window dressing and an attempt to throw dust into the eyes of the public. - Joy
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Accra (Greater Accra) 16 November 2001 - The Minority Group in Parliament on Friday insisted that their call on the government to act on the 25,000-dollars given to the Ghanaian soccer contingent to Nigeria should be heeded.
It said any tendency to ignore the call could be interpreted as the government's unwillingness to deal with allegations concerning people close to it.
Speaking to the GNA in an interview, Mr Pele Abuga, the Deputy Minority Spokesman on Youth and Sports, said it had taken the government too long to act on the issue.
He said some people were appearing before the Fast Track Courts on alleged bribery charges and Mallam Yussif Issah, the former Youth and Sports Minister, was jailed for the loss of 46,000 dollars.
Mr Abuga, Member of Parliament (MP) for Chaana-Paga, said similar allegations made against some members of the government were treated with contempt.
He said it was wrong for people to refer to the money given out as a gift. "I am surprised that people call such a bribe a gift. If it were a gift why should some members of the contingent refuse the money?"
Mr Abuga said selective justice had never served anybody's interest. "It did not help the previous government and would not help the NPP government either. Justice as the saying goes would soon catch up with everybody sooner or later"
He said for the government's zero tolerance for corruption to materialise it would be better to have collective justice in the interest of the totality of the Ghanaian society.
The Ghanaian contingent that went to Port Harcourt to play the Nigerian National Team, Green Eagles in the last World Cup qualifying match was given 25,000 dollars at a reception organised after the match by the River State Governor.
At the same reception the Governor gave the Green Eagles 75,000 dollars. The Executive Committee of the Ghana Football Association has since come out to dismiss the allegation of bribe taking as unmeritorious. GNA
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No international statutes on declaration of gifts after football
matches
Accra (Greater
Accra) 12 November 2001 - The World football governing body (FIFA) does not
have statutes governing public declaration of gifts presented to teams. The
Confederation of African Football and the Ghana Football Association (GFA) do
not also have any statutes on the public declaration of gifts.
A former
Chairman of the GFA, Nana Sam Brew Buttler told JOY FM that although there are
occasions on which gifts are exchanged at international competitions, there are
no clear cut rules covering the extent of limitations on such gifts.
Mr. Butler
who was commenting on the $25,000 gift given to the Black Stars in Nigeria said
while exchange of gifts in football is a normal phenomenon, people who exchange
gifts should exercise caution in ensuring that gifts that do not influence the
morality of the game. Mr. Butler agreed with the notion that the country's laws
could be streamlined so as to make GFA officials who travel outside to
represent the country, declare gifts they received while they were outside the
country.
On whether
Ghanaian tax payers should be made aware of receipt of such gifts, Mr. Butler
said it depends on how the presentation of such gifts are made. JOY FM
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Black stars captain speaks on $25,000 issue
Accra
(Greater Accra) 12 November 2001 - The Captain of the Black Stars, C.K Akonnor,
has described the controversy surrounding the $25,000 gift given to the Black
Stars by Nigeria's River State Governor after a world cup qualifier against
Nigeria as unfortunate and embarrassing but has cautioned that there are far
more important and productive issues such as Mali 2002 to focus on.
Akonnor, who
was recently appointed captain of Bundeslega side VFL Wolfsburg, told JOY FM
via phone from Cologne Germany, that he only read about the issue on the
internet, after a friend had informed him about the controversy.
The Black
Stars captain said he fully supports his team mates and cautioned that the
issue should be dealt with carefully to avoid further embarrassment and
de-motivation of the team.
C.K Akonnor
said he is confident that with Abedi Ayew Pele's new role as soccer ambassador,
the welfare and morale of the team can only improve especially if kit
sponsorship is secured for the Black Stars before Mali 2002. JOY FM
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Aguma explains gift to Black Stars
Lagos
(Nigeria) 12 November 2001 - MR. Igo Aguma, Rivers Commissioner for Sports,
Friday described as "devilish" those behind the report that Gov.
Peter Odili gave money to the Ghana Black Stars to influence the outcome of the
July 29 World Cup encounter which the Ghanaians lost 0-3 to Nigeria in Port
Harcourt.
"The
Rivers State governor never visited any of the teams before the match let alone
make promises," Aguma told News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Friday in a telephone
interview.
In a similar
vein, NFA spokesman Austin Mgbolu said if the Black Stars received any monetary
gift from the Rivers government after the match, the Nigeria Football
Association did not authorise it.
"Such a
gesture has nothing to do with the NFA. At best it was a personal show of
friendship by Gov. Peter Odili, who only offered a venue for the World Cup
match," Mgbolu, NFA's Head of Protocol and Public Relations, told NAN.
Agoma and
Mgbolu's comments are coming on the heels of a Ghanaian evening newspaper
report, confirmed by Mr. Ben Koufie, Ghana Football Association chairman, on
Monday that Odili gave the Black Stars 25,000 dollars and other gifts at a
reception in Port Harcourt after the match which Nigeria won 3-0.
"Initially,
I was apprehensive and did not want to accept it. But when my counterpart told
me it had nothing to do with the match, I took it," the Evening News"
newspaper quoted Koufie as saying.
Koufie said
he was given the impression that "it was the nature of the state governor
to spend lavishly on visiting teams." But Agoma said Odili had no ulterior
motive when he hosted the Black Stars to a reception after the game.
"The
government of Rivers as it is usual, organised a public banquet at which the
Ghana team, friends of Nigeria and the international media attended after
Nigeria had won the ticket.
"Everybody
was entertained because it was a joyous occasion at which modest gifts were
extended to Nigeria's national team, the Ghanaian team and Nigeria's Supporters
Club," he said that a similar reception was held for the Sudanese when
they came and that when a similar invitation was extended to the Liberians they
failed to show up apparently in anger over their loss of the match.
"We
considered their (Liberians) action as lacking in good sportsmanship,"
Aguma said.
He said the
Rivers government had just donated N1 million to the national volleyball team
as well as subsidise hotel accommodation of other contingents attending the
ongoing 13th African Nations Cup Volleyball Championships in Port Harcourt.
"It is
belittling and embarrassing for people to impute negative motives for the
sportsman gesture of the state government," said Aguma.
"The
desire of Rivers government is to build Port Harcourt into a tourism resort
that it should be. The Governor's gesture was purely friendship and had nothing
to do with the outcome of the match," he stressed.
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Mgbolu was emphatic that the NFA was not involved in the matter.
Lagos
(Nigeria) 12 November 2001 - "No money was given to anybody by the NFA. We
completely dissociate the association from any such gifts," he said,
adding the insinuations were the handiwork of Nigeria's detractors.
He said the
NFA received 75,000 dollars from the Rivers government for the Super Eagles for
winning a third consecutive World Cup ticket.
"A good
gesture by the Rivers State Governor should not be misconstrued by enemies of
Nigeria. "Nigeria has always been good hosts and NFA is aware of FIFA
regulations and therefore could not have fallen prey to the evil assumptions of
our detractors," he said.
"The
Rivers State Governor did not make promises to the team before the match and
therefore his gesture could not have been designed to fulfil any
commitments," he said. Mgbolu noted that Liberia's reaction might not be
unconnected with the fact that NFA protested against an alleged financial
inducement to Sierra Leonean players, who were said to have received 5,000
dollars each to lose to Liberia on July 14.
Liberia won
the match 1-0 in Freetown. Meanwhile, Ghana's opposition parliamentarians have
demanded a full inquiry into the report.
Opposition
National Democratic Congress members parliament issued a statement demanding
"full-scale investigations" and the immediate suspension of Koufie
and deputy sports minister Joe Aggrey, who led the team to Port Harcourt.
Vanguard (Lagos)
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FIFA orders NFA to file defence
Lagos
(Nigeria) - 13 November 2001 - World football governing body, FIFA has waded
into the $25,000 gift to the Ghanaian contingents shortly after a World Cup
qualifier in Port-Harcourt, July 29.
In a fax
letter to Nigeria Football Association (NFA) yesterday, FIFA asked Nigeria to
file her defence for the allegation before its panel investigating the matter.
According to
BBC report monitored in Lagos, it is expected that the World football
authority, in conjunction with CAF, will reach a decision on the vexing issue
before the week runs out.
The report,
which was silence on the source, did not indicate the type of sanction Nigeria
faces if found guilty.
But a
protest letter by Liberia last Friday, specifically asked FIFA to disqualify
Nigeria based on the admission by Ghana FA Chairman, Ben Koufie that he
collected the money from Rivers State Governor, Peter Odili.
Both
Nigeria, and Ghana after a similar inquest, have maintained that the gesture
was a goodwill gift from the governor who hosted most the Eagles' qualifiers.
On Monday, Odili's
Commissioner of Sports, Igor Aguma dismissed the allegation and said that the
governor made no contact whatsoever with the Ghanaian team until the match had
been won and lost.
Besides, he
added, it was a tradition that was equally extended to other teams that had
equally played their matches in the city. Liberia was quick to deny receiving
any gift from the Governor when they visited.
It could be
recalled that at the same banquet for both Ghana and Nigerian teams after the
match, the Super Eagles and their officials were also given $30,000 by the
Governor.
He had
always given a monetary reward to the Nigerian team for every match it won in
the qualifiers in his domain as marks of appreciation and solidarity.
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NFA replies query on bribery allegation
Lagos
(Nigeria) 14 November 2001 - Nigeria Football Association (NFA) has finally replied
to the Federation of International Football Association (FIFA) query on the
allegation by Liberia that Nigeria bribed Ghana to qualify for the Korea/Japan
2002 World Cup in Port Harcourt, Rivers State
Interim
Secretary General Patrick Okpomo told THIS DAYSports last night that he had
replied the query explaining that Nigeria did not bribe Ghana to win the match.
Okpomo
explained that the $25,000 United States Dollars was given to both the Nigeria
Super Eagles and their Ghanaian Black Stars after the match when the Rivers
State Governor Dr. Peter Odili hosted the teams and officials to a dinner at
the Government House in Port-Harcourt.
“You don't
announce a bribe”. How can a governor announce that he gave the Ghanaians and
the Super Eagles some amount of money and yet it is termed bribery. If he had
wanted to bribe the Ghanaians, perhaps he would have quietly sent somebody to
hand over the money to the Ghanaians days before the match was played. THIS
DAYSports
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EGLE party calls for probe into 25,000-dollar gift
Accra
(Greater Accra) 15 November 2001 - The EGLE Party on Wednesday added its voice to
calls on the President to institute a full-scale enquiry into the 25,000-dollar
gift that was given to officials and players of the Black Stars by a Nigerian
politician after the final World Cup qualifying match last July.
A statement
signed in Accra by Alhaji Abdul-Rahaman Jamatutu, Vice Chairman of the party,
said the description of the largess, as a gift by officials should be ignored.
"It is
most regrettable that less than a year of being in office, the NPP government
has been caught in such an 'international corruption'. This has cast serious
doubts about the sincerity of the government to its concept of 'zero tolerance
for corruption'."
Alhaji
Jamatutu referred to former Prime Minister Kofi Abrefa Busia's statement that
officials should not accept gifts, as they were bribes and said the party
agreed with the statement.
"The
EGLE Party is indeed concerned about the new found terminology of 'gifts' for
'bribes'...If this trend continues, then no public official can be accused of
corruption in the government of Positive Change as virtually all bribes come in
the form of gifts."
The Chairman
of the Ghana Football Association announced recently that the Governor of River
State in Nigeria gave him 25,000 dollars after the World Cup qualifier with
Nigeria in Port Harcourt.
He said he
declined to accept it but took it when he was told that the Governor always
gave gifts to countries that honoured their matches at Port Harcourt.
The news has
triggered a public outcry against the officials and footballers as the public
said the Black Stars were bribed. Ghana lost the match 3-0 thus giving Nigeria
the ticket to Japan/Korea 2002.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 12 November 2001- The Executive Council of the Ghana Football Association has described the bribery allegations levelled against the delegation that took the Black Stars to Nigeria as unfounded and without merit saying the 25,000 dollars in question was a personal gift from the River State Governor.
In a statement signed by Mr Y.A. Ibrahim, council chairman after an emergency meeting on Friday, said all gifts offered were done after the match without any prior arrangement or promise of favour and that the result of the said match was never predetermined. It said there were no previous contact between officials of Ghana and Nigeria before the match aside of the pre-match conference.
The Council noted that prior to the match the Ghanaian delegation had complained at the pre-match conference to the match commissioner about the poor accommodation and reception generally accorded the delegation.
It further noted that whiles in Nigeria, one of the training sessions of the team was disrupted by unruly Nigerian crowd, adding that the delegation took exception to the harassment and intimidation of the team and accordingly, lodged a formal complaint with the Director of Sports and the Assistant Secretary of Nigeria Football Association.
The Council said the winning bonus of World Cup matches was 2000 dollars per player and therefore do not think that the Ghanaian players would prefer 800 dollars to play a match of convenience. It said from the foregoing it is its view that the atmosphere prior to the match was not one of friendliness, pointing out that gifts to national teams after matches is not uncommon.
The Council cited a recent match between Ghana's Black Queens and the Falcons of Nigeria in which Ghana lost 2-5 and the Queens were entertained at a reception at which they received gifts. In light of the foregoing the council said it is of the view that there was no act of impropriety from any member of the delegation in accepting the gifts offered them.
It therefore assures FIFA, CAF and the general public that it would not hesitate to take punitive measures against any member of the leadership of national teams if it has sufficient reasons to believe that any official is culpable of impropriety.
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The disclosure of the $25,000 handout several months after Ghana’s 3-0 loss in Port Harcourt, has generated a lot of furore in Ghanaian media circles, with officials defending the gesture as a gift from the Rivers State Governor and not a bribe as rumoured.
In an attempt to drive home a point, GFA chairman Ben Koufie, who received the said amount, acknowledged the receipt of the gift and stated that similar gestures were offered to Liberia and Congo DR who also played Nigeria in the oil-rich state.
However, the Liberian FA chairman, Edwin Snowe, said the revelation confirms their long held suspicion that Ghana and Nigeria fixed the game. As a result they were preparing a petition to FIFA to investigate the issue.
It’s belated though, but it is something we all knew of. We all saw the performance of the Black Stars against the Super Eagles and definitely we knew what went wrong,” Snowe said in an interview on Accra-based radio station, Choice FM, last Wednesday.
Nigeria needed nothing short of victory over Ghana to edge out Liberia for the group’s slot, but the 3-0 victory in which Ghana played the entire second half with nine men after first choice goalkeeper, James Nanor was replaced and his substitute, Osei Boateng was sent off- raised a lot of eyebrows.
But it is the $ 25,000 gift shared among the stars players and officials, which has strengthened Liberia’s believe that something surreptitious took place. Snowe said Liberia feel cheated but are not pressing for Nigeria’s disqualification. Instead, they hope to set the records straight and let the world know Ghana and Nigeria connived to ensure their elimination.
“We’ve always said the game was fixed. But that is the bad side of football and we are going to see what FIFA will do about it. “If nothing is done that’s it. But we need to let the world know that Liberia were robbed, that Ghanaians went to Nigeria not to defend their flag but receive a hand-out”, he lamented.
Claims that the Lone Star also benefited from the largess of Nigerians was dismissed by the Liberian FA boss, who rather ridiculed the Black Stars, for trading their pride for pittance.
“You can ask the Nigerians; not a cent was given to us. We went there to win and qualify for the World Cup but Ghana went there for a handout. “Now the whole world knows Ghanaians are not principled as we’ve always believed, and that they go for peanuts. T hey sold their national pride to Nigeria and we are shocked that they would do such a thing”, Mr. Snowe lamented.
Ironically, Black Stars coach Fred Osam Duodu accused Liberian top striker and technical director George Weah of attempting to influence his players during Ghana’s 2-1 victory over Liberia in Monrovia. This charge was flatly denied by Weah who even threatened to seek legal action to redeem his image.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 08 November 2001 - The Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) on Wednesday said it has referred the case involving eight journalists who reportedly received $100 each from their Nigerian hosts to the GJA Ethics Committee for action.
In an interview with the Ghana News Agency, Mrs Gifty Affenyi Dadzie, President of GJA said, "the Ethics Committee is the most appropriate authority to deal with the matter and they will soon begin dealing with it. She declined to comment on the matter saying the Committee will make their position known soon.
The Ethics Committee of the GJA is charged to deal with all cases of improper behaviour of Journalists during the course of their duty.
Some senior journalists the GNA spoke to condemned the behaviour of the Ghanaian football authorities for accepting the money which also invariably affected the journalists saying, "it was an insult to the Ghanaian footballing public."
Others said the journalists had no case to answer as the money was given to a group and that the journalists were just beneficiaries of Nigerian "hospitality."
Nigerian Football Authorities doled out 25,000 dollars to the Black Stars hours after the Black Stars were humiliated 0-3 in a crucial World Cup decider with the Super Eagles in Port Harcourt last July.
The victory was a landmark event as it facilitated the qualification of the Super Eagles for the World fiesta, edging out Liberia's Lone Star who were then leading the table and on course for a historic world cup appearance.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 08 November 2001 - The Ghana Football Association GFA will hold an Extra Ordinary Executive Council Meeting at the GFA Secretariat on Friday, November 9 to discuss the twenty-five thousand dollar 'gift' presented to the Ghanaian contingent by the Nigerian Rivers State Governor.
The Governor gave the ‘gift’ when the Black Stars played the Super Eagles in a World Cup qualifier in Port Harcourt. A statement signed by Mr Kwaku Ampim-Darko, Acting General Secretary of the GFA asked all members of the Executive Council to endeavour to attend meeting and punctually too.
Mr Ben Koufie, the GFA Chairman has been under fire lately for accepting the money from the governor. The Black Stars lost the match by three goals to nil.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 07 November 2001 - Deputy Youth and Sports Minister, Joe Aggrey says on hindsight, he believes that officials of the GFA should have rejected the $25,000 gift given to the Black Stars by the River State Governor of Nigeria. Mr Aggrey who is alleged to have declined to take his share of the gift told reporters that at the time, the gesture did not come across as a bribe.
Ghana Football Association, GFA Chairman, Ben Kuofie told JOY-FM that he received the money in the presence of Mr Aggrey.
Football enthusiasts have condemned the decision of Ghana's Football Authorities to accept the monetary gift from the State Governor calling for strict sanctions against the deputy Minister and other sports officials for bringing the name of Ghana Football into disrepute. But Mr Aggrey says he went on his own accord and not as a member of the GFA entourage.
He also denies allegations that the money was a bribe further dismissing the notion that the Black stars would have been given more money had they won the match. The Black Stars suffered a humiliating defeat at the hands of the Super Eagles in a World Cup qualifying match in July this year.
There is a general displeasure at the explanations given by the GFA Chairman, Ben Kuofie with more calls for his resignation. To most Ghanaians, the silence of officials and especially journalists who also benefited from the gift confirms rumours that
Ghana 'sold out " the match to Nigeria.
The 'Evening News' newspaper reports that the journalists were left out of the booty but were later given $100 each after they protested.
A former legal advisor of the Ghana Football Association, Alhaji Amadu Tanko says Ghana risks being sanctioned by the Confederation of African Football and FIFA if there is proof that the $25,000 gift to the Black Stars influenced the final outcome of the match.
The Editor of the Africa Sports newspaper, Kwabena Yeboah has however described calls for the resignation of the Ghana Football Association Chairman, Ben Kuofie as premature. In an interview with JOY-FM, Mr. Yeboah observed that Mr. Kuofie does not have a negative record bordering on corruption.
Hence the difficulty in telling if he acted with a clear conscience or otherwise. He however added that the decision to resign rests squarely on Ben Kuofie's shoulders. JOYFM
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Accra (Greater Accra) 07 November 2001-The NDC Minority in Parliament on Tuesday called for a "full-scale independent" inquiry into the 25,000 dollars given to Mr Ben Koufie, GFA Chairman by the Governor of Nigeria's River State after the World Cup qualifier between the Black Stars and Super Eagles.
In a statement issued by Mr Abuga Pele, Minority Spokesman on Youth and Sports, the Minority said the acceptance of the money was "unethical and an act of corruption" and contrary to the government's policy of zero tolerance for corruption.
The minority called for the immediate interdiction of Mr Koufie and the Deputy Minister of Youth and Sports, Mr Joe Aggrey for the incident, "which has become a blot on Ghana's international reputation, to allow for a fair and balanced inquiry."
The statement also called on the Vice President, who at the time had responsibility for the Ministry of Youth and Sports, to clarify whether he was briefed about the scandal and what steps he took.
The Evening News said on Monday said the Governor gave the money to Mr Koufie at a reception after the match, which the Black Stars lost 3-0. The result gave Nigeria the ticket to Japan/Korea 2002 and snuffed out Liberia's hopes.
The statement said Ghana was shocked at the poor performance of the Black Stars in the match and there were allegations that the Black Stars had been bribed to pay below form.
"The present revelation of the 25,000-dollar scandal will appear to confirm these allegations and gives much cause for worry," the Minority said, and expressed concern about the possibility of Ghana coming under sanctions from the Confederation of Africa Football and the world football governing body, FIFA, over the incident.
"(The Minority) is concerned about a worrying trend where bribes offered and accepted by public officials are described as gifts. We call on the government to muster courage to fully implement its zero tolerance for corruption."
The statement said earlier calls for probes and inquiry into the Sahara oil deal and Castle renovation have been ignored by the government and the minority would take all legitimate and lawful means to ensure that the matter was fully investigated.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 07 November 2001 - The Chairman of clubs Association (GHALCA), Mr J.Y. Appiah, has described the bribery allegations being levelled against the Ghanaian contingent which travelled to Nigeria to play Super Eagles in the crucial World Cup qualifier as very unfortunate.
According to Mr Appiah, soon there would be none to run the local game if such negative tendencies are not discouraged.
The GHALCA Chairman was reacting to media speculations on the $25,000 presented to the Ghanaians team after their final World Cup qualifier against Nigeria on July 28, which the Stars lost 3-0.
Asked about his opinion on the issue since he was on the trip on the ticket of the GFA Executive Council, he declined to comment even though he didn't perceive the gesture from the River State Governor to the Stars as a bribe.
He justified his stance with the point that the FA Chairman, Mr Ben Koufie had already furnished the general public with all facts about the issue.
When contacted, the Technical Director of the Black Stars, Mr Fred Osam-Doudu dismissed the allegations and termed it as something being pushed by certain people eager to distract the Stars attention form Mali 2002 preparations.
While describing it as negative campaign, Coach Osam-Doudu questioned the sense in surrendering their substantial winning bonuses for peanuts.
He explained that had the Stars won the match, he was going to take home $1,500 as his usual winning bonus which would have been almost 100 per cent more than the $800 he got as his share of the $25,000 gift, from the Nigerian Governor. - Daily Graphic
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Bribery scandal- fall outs from Ghana-Nigeria match?
Accra
(Greater Accra) 06 November 2001 - An extension of Nigerian 'hospitality' and
'handshake' to after a humiliating World Cup qualifying loss to the Super
Eagles, has caused a big stir in Nigeria.
The
Nigerian press is screaming 'bribery!' over the event last July when the Super
Eagles whipped the black Stars 3-0 in a World Cup qualifier in Port Harcourt
and then held a dinner for the Ghanaians at the residence of the Rivers State
governor allegedly presented $25,000 as gift to the Ghanaian team.
It was a
landmark victory for the Nigerians and facilitated the Super Eagles narrowly
edging out the Lone Stare of Liberia to make their successive World Cup finals
appearance.
Liberian
super star, George Weah was first to raise alarm after the game, accusing the
Black Stars of complicity in the Super Eagles' 3-0 victory.
He was
seriously taken on by Black Stars coach Osam Duodu who earlier rather accused
Weah of an attempt to influence the results of the Liberia - Ghana match in
Monrovia, which Ghana won 2-1.
In the
euphoria of that triumph, the Nigerians invited the players and officials of
the Ghanaian contingent for a victory dinner at the residence of the State
Governor of Rivers for a treat of Nigerian hospitality, where the cash donation
was allegedly made.
But the
excitement now over, the often critical Nigerian press, this week raked up the
three-month old matter and scandalized the governor's gesture as bribery.
A member of
the Ghanaian contingent on that trip on Monday rejected the bribery tag being
put on the matter, saying, it was nothing illicit and that the donation was
made at a public function.
He said the
Nigerians explained at the time that the gesture was a normal Nigerian hospitality
extended to all visiting teams and at the same function, about $150,000 was
mobilized for the Super Eagles.
It was on
the basis of that assurance he said, that GFA chairman Ben Kuofie received the
amount of $25,000 publicly and on behalf of the players and other members of
the contingent.
The money
was said to have been shared among players and officials on that trip, as a
token of Nigerian hospitality and not with any intention of rendering any
service in return.
"After
all, the match had already been played and the position of all teams already
known", the official said. - Graphic Sports
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Black Stars took $25,000 from Nigeria
Accra
(Greater Accra) 06 November 2001 - Five months after the epic World Cup decider
between Ghana and Nigeria played at Port Harcourt in Nigeria's River State,
intelligence reports picked up by 'The Evening News' indicate that the match
could not have been played in a competitive spirit.
The Super
Eagles thrashed their Ghanaian counterparts, the Black Stars 3-0 to qualify for
next year's Japan/Korea World Cup at the expense of closest rivals Opong Weah's
Liberia. It was 24 years since Nigeria triumphed on home soil against Ghana.
Our
contacts in Nigeria and confirmed in Ghana by a highly credible source say
Nigeria gave the Black Stars 25,000 US dollars (about ¢175 million) after the
match.
The money
was given to GFA Chairman Ben Koufie by the River State Governor at a
post-match reception he held for the two teams.
The GFA
Chairman confirmed this early this morning at his office when "The Evening
New" contacted him. He said the cash together with other gifts were
offered at the reception.
"Initially,
I was apprehensive and did not want to accept it. But when my Nigerian counterpart told me it had nothing to do
with the match, I took it," Mr Koufie disclosed.
The FA
Chairman said he was given the impression that, that was the nature of the
State Governor, "to spend lavishly on visiting teams".
Mr Koufie
further disclosed that every member of the Ghanaian delegation including
newsmen who accompanied the team benefited from the $25,000.
However,
one Ghanaian sports journalist told 'The Evening News" that initially they
were left out in the sharing of the booty.
But when they protested at the airport they were given 100 dollars each
(eight in all) to literally keep quiet and they have since kept quiet.
Analysts
find the FA Chairman's explanation as highly unacceptable, judging from the
rumours that were rife before the match. "Even if it was a gift, it was a
poor judgment on the part of the leadership of the Ghanaian delegation to
accept it. Their action only went to
confirm earlier speculations that the FA was going to sell the match to
Nigeria," said our sports analyst.
Another
said by accepting that huge amount as a gift, the FA compromised the image and
reputation of Ghana among the comity of nations and called on the FA to return
the Money.
Long before
the match, Liberia's player-cum-coach-cum-treasurer George Oppong Weah had
openly expressed his suspicion about the competitive nature of the match and
called on FIFA and CAF to "ensure fair-play and no hanky-panky
business".
Sports
Journalist, Rosalind Amoah who covered that match for the Daily Graphic was not
impressed about the Stars performance.
She wrote
in the Daily Graphic of Monday, July 30, 2001 that "but what should have
been a perfect finishing to Africa's exciting World Cup qualifying series,
considering the level of soccer rivalry between the two nations, failed to live
up to its billing despite the number of goals scored."
She
observed that "for whatever opposition the Black Stars were supposed to
give the Eagles because a mere wishful thinking as by the 43rd
minute they had conceded three goals.
Ghana by
that ignominious 3.0 defeat to Nigeria finished fourth on the table, trailing
behind Sudan, Liberia and Nigeria. - Evening News
GRi…/
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