Ghana: “We Want Men of Substance, Not Errand Boys” -Takyi Arhin

David Tagoe

28 June 2011

News about the mad rush for membership on the Executive Committee of the Ghana Football Association (GFA) is without doubt cementing and lending credence to the assertion that the plethora of personalities vying for positions on the committee are being driven by selfish interests, other than the interest of Ghana football.

People of varied backgrounds within the Ghanaian football establishment have submitted forms in the name of either Premier League Clubs or Division One League clubs, on whose backs they want to ride to achieve their selfish ambitions.

But some people playing the role of the sheepdog in Ghana football have raised objection to those perceived to be spurred on by parochial interest, calling for their rejection.

The latest person who has assumed the sheepdog role as the GFA inches closer to its executive committee elections is former Chief Executive Officer of relegated B.A. Stars, Takyi Arhin (a. k. a. Thunder), who says many of those embroiled in the rush for membership on the committee are not men of substance, but errand boys who perceive the executive committee elections as the catalyst to achieve their individual aims.

In a radio interview monitored on Asempa FM on Monday, Takyi Arhin in a characteristic fashion, minced no words in calling personalities like Randy Abbey, Oduro Nyarko of Wa All Stars and Kofi Manu, who until recently was a known sworn critic of the Kwesi Nyantakyi administration, as ‘errand boys’.

Takyi Arhin did not also hesitate in touting the credentials of people like Emmanuel Kyeremeh, Moses Armah and Felix Ansong, as ‘men of substance’, whose membership on the Executive Committee of the GFA would do Ghana football a whole world of good.

“We don’t need errand boys and sycophants in Ghana football. We’ve got to streamline things in Ghana football and vote men of substance onto the executive committee. The sycophants should not be entertained.

“The elections should not be based on friendship and cronyism. We need people who tell the truth. We don’t need people who line their pockets with money meant for clubs to be on the executive committee. Ghana football does not need such people”, he remarked.

When reached for a reaction to Takyi Arhin’s description of them as ‘errand boys’, one of the trio, Randy Abbey, preferred not to respond, but not without pooh-poohing Takyi Arhin’s reasonsing.

“I don’t have to respond to ‘Thunder’. Those are statements coming from a weak mind. If I respond to him, I would have elevated his argument. He does not determine who contests the elections and I will not respond to him because he does not deserve it”.

The FA Spokesperson, however, explained that the executive committee elections are not about people contesting on club tickets, otherwise when Hearts of Oak severed ties with him, they could have replaced him with another person, adding the same applies to Fred Crentsil and Awuah Nyamekye.

He said two rules govern the executive committee elections, which are that for one to be eligible to contest the person must have some association with a club for two years.

Apart from saying the three cannot stand their grounds, Takyi Arhin’s assertion may be predicated on the proposed GH¢ 10, 000 ‘ex gratia’ for outgoing members of the committee over which divergent views have been expressed.

AllAfrica – All the Time