Ahaji Jawula fails test of accountability!
L-Sporto presents equipment to Metro Stars
Accra (Greater Accra) 18 July 2002 - The Government on Wednesday, started disbursing last year's May 9 Stadium disaster fund at the premises of the Ministry of Information to the relatives and families of the victims.
At least 126 soccer fans were killed during a premier league match between archrivals Accra Hearts of Oak and Kumasi Asante Kotoko at the Accra Sports Stadium. Almost all the relatives and families of the 114-screened families thronged the ministry to collect their cheques. However, some families registered their misgivings about the whole process and said the money was too small. Each family was given a cheque for million cedis.
Mr John Saka Addo, Chairman of the Committee in charge of the disaster fund said, however, that screening of another batch of six families have not been completed while seven others did not report at all for screening. He said the total amount was ˘3.6 billion made up of ˘2.1 billion being the actual money donated plus an interest of ˘1.5 billion accruing from treasury bills.
Government has already spent ˘1.6 billion on funeral and upkeep of the children of the victims. Each family was given ˘2.5 million for the burial of their deceased and a million cedis for each of the 130 children of the victims. Mr Saka Addo said, those injured would be given up to ˘10 million each, depending on the degree of injuries sustained based on the commendations by medical officers.
He said an amount of ˘2 billion would be put in a special scholarship scheme at the Ministry of Education to cater for the educational needs of the children from nursery to the tertiary level plus a million cedis each for their upkeep. Mr Saka Addo said out of the 250 injured, the committee has received medical reports of just 152, but stated that provisions would also be made for the rest.
Meanwhile some families and relatives of victims of last year's Accra Sports Stadium May 9 disaster on Wednesday lashed out at the government and refused to take their ex-gratia award of ˘10 million each being disburse to affected families. They described the amount as meagre and doubted the total amount of ˘3.5 billion being declared by government.
The government was billed to give out the monies to some 114 screened families whose relatives were killed during a mid week premier league match between archrival Accra Hearts of Oak and Kumasi Asante Kotoko. However, those who thronged the Information Ministry to collect their monies were more than the 114 resulting in a commotion.
Mr Kofi Amposah Bediako, Assistant Government Spokesman said on Tuesday that some six families were yet to complete the screening process while seven others had not turned out at all.
A middle age woman Sakena who claim to have lost five brothers through the disaster stated in an interview that the whole process has been shrouded in secrecy. "We have lost breadwinners and very important members of our families; obviously the ˘10 million cedis is too small," she said.
Alhaji Musah of Accra New Town said but for the donation, the government would not have given anything to the families. On the contrary, Mrs Regina Lamptey, a mother of one who lost her husband, said she saw nothing wrong with the government's support for the families. She said she was dismayed about people's reaction toward the disbursement adding that the government was under no obligation whatsoever to make such a generous gesture to the people.
GRi…/
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Accra (Greater Accra) 18 July 2002 - The National Chapters Committee of Accra Hearts of Oak Sporting Limited has appealed to its teeming supporters to exercise great caution on Sunday, as the club lock horns with archrivals Kumasi Asante Kotoko, in the first match of the second round.
Mr Neil Armstrong Mortagbe, Financial Controller of the Committee, urged the fans at a press conference in Accra on Tuesday to comport themselves "for the good of the game." He however, lambasted certain Kotoko fans who put up unruly behaviour during the last encounter at the Kumasi Sports Stadium where the Phobians, were pelted with bagged water among other offensive objects.
Recounting some of the incidence, Mr Mortagbe said, Hearts fans were subjected to unnecessary search while some ball boys harassed goalkeeper, Sammy Adjei. He however, assured Kotoko fans of adequate security at the stadium but appealed to them to exhibit good behaviour before, during and after the game and urged them to accept any result that came their way.
Mr Mortagbe said football was a game of passion and as such, government's interference was not going to be tolerated as happened in Kumasi. He commended Hearts' supporters for displaying a high sense of maturity in the face of strong provocation, adding, "Please keep it up."
GRi…/
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Accra (Greater Accra) 18 July 2002 - A peace musical concert dubbed "Asomdwea Nkomo," would organised by the Management of Accra Hearts of Oak as a prelude to their second round, first match against Kumasi Asante Kotoko on Sunday at the Accra Sports Stadium.
A statement issued in Accra on Wednesday and signed by Mr Ashford Tettey Oku, Administrative Manager of Hearts said, the concert forms part of the healing process started last year. The two clubs, competed in the Vodacom Challenge Cup in South Africa, where a similar tragedy had occurred, brought together the affected teams in a healing process.
The last time the two clubs met at the same venue was a year ago on May 9, where at least 126 fans were killed in a stampede. The concert starts at noon and would feature artists such as Slim Buster, Tic Tac, Paa Dogo and Frontomfrom among others. Meanwhile, representatives of the Board of Directors of Hearts would on Sunday, present two footballs to Charles Taylor, for scoring two hat tricks during the first round against Maxbees and Mine Stars.
GRi…/
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Accra (Greater Accra) 18 July 2002 - The Crusading Guide says its investigations have revealed that part of the $45,000 money which was to cover air tickets for a friendly ‘A’ match between Ghana and Egypt was ‘diverted’ by Alhaji MND Jawula, the then Ghana Football Association (GFA) boss.
Our investigations have further revealed that Jawula peddled an obvious untruth when he told the private bi-weekly in an earlier story that he received only $20,000 from the Egyptian Football Association (EFA) as money for air tickets. In that interview with the former GFA Chairman explained why the money was not captured in the GFA accounts thus: “the $45,000 was not income for GFA but for the airlines, I cannot account for it because the tickets have been used.”
Information fished from the Universal Travel and Tourist Service (GH) Ltd, the travel agency that was in charge of the Ghana-Egypt match indicated that the out of the amount, the GFA used only $31,390, as money for the air tickets for the 32 people who travelled to Egypt for encounter.
The rest of the money could not be accounted for by Jawula. There was also no record of Jawula having refunded the rest of the money to the GFA. On a Universal Travel and Tourist receipt dated 13/6/2002, intercepted by the Crusading Guide, there was an indication that an amount of $31,390 was received from the GFA as ticket money for 32 people, (30 people making up for the team and 2 senior officials) scheduled to travel by Egypt Air (Business Class) to Cairo for the match.
Evidence available also indicated that the two air tickets bought for two senior official (Business Class) were at the cost of $2,890.00 while that of the 30 people was at the cost of $28,500, totalling $31,390. The paper had also laid hands on a receipt proving that an amount of $45,000 was duly received (1/6/2002) by the GFA to meet the airfare for the Black Stars from the Egyptian Football Federation. This however, runs counter to what Alhali Jawula told the Crusading Guide in an interview.
When questioned on the issue, the former GFA boss submitted that instead of $45,000 only $20,000 was received from the Egyptian Football Association as ticket money. He told the paper that he was being vilified.
“Somebody must have an interest to blow the headlines and embarrass me. What is the interest of somebody? Somebody wants to damage me. Anas (the reporter), I am wondering why somebody should show interest in that”, he said. Though Alhaji Jawula claimed that he was not accountable to the GFA, all transactions including the receipts of the $45,000 was on GFA letterheads.
As published earlier, a letter written on 13 April 2002 by the then GFA General Secretary, Mr Wolarnyo Agra, to his Egyptian counterpart, had stated that instead of 30 tickets, the GFA had proposed that money, according to the letter, was to reach the GFA latest by 10 May 2002 “to enable us purchase the tickets. Experience has shown that we usually require re-routing for our Europe based players and that creates problems when we don’t handle the tickets ourselves,” Agra explained.
In addition to that, Alhaji Jawula was expected in Cairo from 27 to 30 May 2000 for the CAF inter-club meeting and kindly ask your (EFA) to contact him and hand over the amount of $45,000 to him (cost of the airfares).”
GRi…/
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Accra (Greater Accra) 18 July 2002 - L-Sporto, an Italy-based sports manufacturing company on Wednesday presented sports items worth $14,000 (over ˘100 million) to Metro Stars, a second division team in the Central Region. The items include, four sets of jerseys, 120 pairs of hose, 30 pairs of football boots, 30 pairs of tracksuits, 30 water bottles and some drugs.
Presenting the items, Mr Kofi Poku, Country Representative of L-Sporto said the company was prepared to help any club who would approach it for assistance. He said the company has already contacted the Ghana Football Association (GFA) to sponsor the Black Stars and if possible, sponsor the second round of the premier league.
Nana Darko Ampem Ohyeadwira, Ashanti Regional Representative of the club, expressed his appreciation to Dr Sam Ampofo, a FIFA accredited agent and his wife, through whom the club has been able to secure the sponsorship. He said L-Sporto has given the assurance to sponsor the team till it gets to the premier division.
Nana Ohyeadwira said the team established two years ago, is already making a good impact on the soccer seen and would soon break the monopoly being enjoyed by Hearts and Kotoko if it gets to the premier division. He said Kotoko and Hearts have been able to dominate the premiership due to their sound financial background adding that Metro Stars could do even better if given the needed push. Mr Moses Brew chairman of the club thanked L-Sporto for the packaged and promised that the team would live up to expectation.
GRi…/
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