Comrade Sammy Gyemfi, the NDC National Communications Officer has schooled Gabby Otchere Darko for his attempt to dismiss NDC’s pledge to establish a Sports Development Fund to support remuneration of local club players and promote sports in Ghana.
Gabby Otchere’s move to dismiss the National Demicrstoc Congress, NDC pledge was as a result of shock the NDC manifesto brought to the whole NPP machinery and the Nana Akuffo-Addo government.
Mr. Gyemfi agrees that football undoubtedly, is the passion of the nation, and a sport that has put and continues to put food on the tables of many of our country men and women.
“Indeed, Ghana football evokes such deep sense of national pride and also generates economic opportunities for thousands of Ghanaians, that any government worth its sort must support the growth, development and welbeing of this most cherished sport”, he explained.
Adding, Comrade Gyemfi said the NDC recognizes the dire straits that the Sports Associations, particularly the Football fraternity and Premier League Clubs have endured in the past two years, first as a result of the disruption that was caused by the #12 investigations, and currently due to the debilitating effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on Ghana football which has been halted since early this year.
To effect, Comrade Gyemfi hinted “….H.E John Dramani Mahama, the Nation Builder, has among other things, committed himself to establishing a Sports Development Fund to promote sports in Ghana when elected”.
He disclosed page 86, paragraph 7.6.1 (f) of the Peoples’ Manifesto reads; We will…..; “use the Sports Development Fund to assist the Sports Associations to provide and improve remuneration and welfare of local sportsmen and women.”
Under this policy, any Premier League Club in need of financial assistance could among other things, apply for the funds to remunerate their players and save their careers, sustain livelihoods and protect such clubs from going down, he educated Gabby Otchere Darko, nephew to President Akuffo-Addo.
Comrade Sammy Gyemfi further educated Gabby that, “….as it has been the case for every other policy proposal contained in the NDC’s Peoples’ Manifesto, we have done the analysis and we know how much this social intervention will cost the nation and how we intend to fund it when elected”.
For instance with regards to the Ghana Premier League which has a total of 18 football clubs, with an average of 22 players each, should government support each team with remuneration of GHS1,500 per player, it will cost the nation an amount of GHS594,000 ((i.e. GHS33,000 × 18 clubs) every month, he schools NPP.
The NDC Communications Officer further informed shocked NPP government led by Nana Addo that in four (4) years, it will cost the nation a total amount of GHS28,512,000 (i.e 594,000 × 48 months), equivalent to US$4.8 million dollars.
Any club which benefits from this intervention will be required to pay a small percentage of the transfer & sign-on fees of any of their players who gets a foreign contract into the revolving Sports Development Fund, he disclosed.
The unhappy ruling NPP after the launch of the People’s Manifesto, were further informed the policy will be of a prudent use of public funds to regenerate and boost an industry that feeds many and continues to be the breeding grounds for burgeoning talents who go on to lift the name of Ghana high on the global stage.
“….Did I hear the Nephew of President Akufo-Addo and Ghana’s De facto Prime Minister, Gabby Otchere Darko suggest that this laudable policy is not doable? For the records, the legal fees paid to Gabby Otchere Darko and his cronies under the stinking “Agyapa deal” alone can pay for this policy over a period of four (4) years, not to talk of the unprecedented waste of public funds we are witnessing under the obese and corrupt Akuffo-Addo government”, Comrade Gyamfi responded.
Governance is all about choices and priorities. Whereas, President Akuffo-Addo prioritizes profligacy, cronyism, wastage and corruption, President Mahama, the Nation Builder has chosen to channel state resources into productive initiatives such as sports development for the benefit of the country, he posited.
Comrade Sammy Gyemfi also stated John Mahama is honest and can be trusted to deliver his promises. In addition, he advised that, “Naysayers and deliberate cynics like Gabby Otchere Darko who don’t appreciate the need for government to support our local sports clubs and associations because they believe such interventions should rather be channelled into crony, family and friends deals to benefit a few, should be ignored and treated with the contempt they deserve”.
By: Delali A. Awuyeh
