Accra (Greater Accra) 26 June 2003 - President John Kufuor on Wednesday asked members of the African Cup of Nations (CAN 2008) Bid Committee to use their combined and considerable experience to create a watershed for football in the country.
He said it was a big shame that Ghana, which used to dominate the
continent in football, now had to struggle to keep a position in football
against very small teams.
President Kufuor made the call at a meeting with some members of the
15-member Committee at the Castle, Osu. Cabinet in November 2002 gave tentative
approval for Ghana to bid for the hosting and organisation of the 26th African
Cup of Nations tournament.
He said football and sports in general had now become a big business
and no more an entertainment, adding " we should stress on the scientific
nature of sports generally". President Kufuor said watching football from
developed countries, it was no longer natural talents at work but the
footballers had been deliberately trained, nurtured and motivated for a
purpose, which is to win.
He said, " in Ghana we continue to rely on raw talents similar to
the days of the talented players like the Baba Yara's and with this, we can
never revert to our glorious days but now we are in an era of value added to
football and we need to add value to our football".
President Kufuor told members of the Committee that, " you should
constitute yourselves into a powerful strategic committee to devise ways and
means to lift the level of Ghana's football from its current poor state to a
play of scientific and technological activity".
He said much was expected of the Committee and it was good that they
had positioned themselves in a way to bring the private sector into the
football arena in a businesslike manner.
President Kufuor said investments in the basic infrastructure must be
good to yield profits and should not overshadow the other aspects of football,
which is a powerful bonding factor and a number one entertainment for the
people.
He said football should therefore, not be put beyond the reach of
Ghanaians but endeavour to develop strategies for the country to achieve its
ambition, because many people were yearning for the day the Black Stars would
be lifted up from their current state.
President Kufuor, who accepted to become a Patron of the Committee said
time was not on the side of the Committee and urged them to move faster because
there were other countries ready to bid for the tournament.
On sports administration in Ghana, President Kufuor said the period
when sports administrators and personalities took Ghana's sports administration
for a ride was over. He asked sports administrators not to take undue advantage
of their positions on sport committees to let the country down.
"The period when people milked the country's sports in the past
was over. Personalities who serve on sports committees should not take undue
advantage to let the country down but aim for success".
Alhaji Rashid Bawa, Minister of State (Youth and Sports) said the
Committee was set up, among other things, to examine the requirements of the
Confederation of African Football (CAF) for the hosting of the tournament and
determine Ghana's capacity to meet them.
Others were to examine in detail the feasibility, cost methodology and
viability to Ghana of bidding and hosting the tournament and above all source
private sector partnership, support and sponsorship for the bidding and hosting
processes.
Alhaji Bawa said the committee had held 15 meetings out of which six
sub-committees had been established. These were international relations and
local lobbying, venue development, security and medical, public, media
relation, marketing and advertising.
Other sub-committees were, transport and communication, hospitality,
accommodation, protocol and team 2008 management. The Minister of State said
the prime aim of the Committee was to evolve an effective strategy for the
private sector to bear about 95 per cent of the entire cost of hosting and
organising the tournament.
Dr Kofi Amoah, Chief Executive Officer of PVI (USA and Ghana) Chairman
of the Committee said their objective was to re-connect the present trend of
football in Ghana with its glorious past and sustain the glory in future.
He said Ghana's pedigree in football was well-known and the bid was a
perfect opportunity for the members, as citizens to serve and unite energies in
the public and private sectors to organise the bid and win to host the
tournament.
Dr Amoah said the Committee had already submitted its report to Cabinet
and sports now was a big business in the modern world, therefore the challenge
facing the Committee was to use it as a business opportunity to generate more
funds for government but not to receive funds from government to bid and host
the tournament.
Other members of the Committee, which was inaugurated on 14 January
this year are Steve Mawuenyegah, Biwater Regional Advisor for Africa, Vice
Chairman, and Fred Pappoe, Executive Committee member of the Ghana Football
Association (GFA).
Others are Samuel Nkrumah Gyimah, MP for Odotobri and Chairman of the
Parliamentary select committee on Youth and Sports, Alhaji M.N.D Jawula,
immediate past Chairman of the GFA and Dr. Nyaho Tamakloe, a medical practitioner
and Kwame Ofosu Bamfo, Managing Director of Bamson Company.
The rest are, Ben Koufie Chairman of the GFA, George Kuffour, a
Business Executive, Pierre Coussey, Office of the President, Dr. Emmanuel Owusu
Ansah, Acting Chief Executive of the National Sports Council (NSC), Magnus Rex
Danquah, Chief Executive Officer of RICS Consult, Abdulai Yakubu, Director of
the Ministry of Education Youth and Sports, E. Owusu Ansah, Vice Chairman of
the GFA and Abedi Ayew Pele, Board Member of GFA.
GRi
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