Brazil World Cup Blues...Gov�t �Gifts� C�ssion Member Appointment

Member of Parliament (MP) for Atwima Mponua, Isaac Asiamah, says the recent appointment of Kofi Anokye to the National Pensions Regulatory Authority (NPRA) is a reward from President John Mahama for the role he played in helping the government cover its tracks during the Brazil 2014 World CUP and doing a hatchet job on the GFA.

Anokye, who was one of three persons who sat on the Justice Dzamefe Commission that looked into Ghana’s participation at the World Cup got his latest appointment because he did the government’s bidding while on the board, Asimah says.

“After the appointment to the Commission, the members are rewarded with another job … promotion galore. Look at what happened at the Judgment Debt Commission – the Commissioner immediately after his work was promoted to the Supreme Court. One of the three who served on the Presidential Commission of Enquiry has also been rewarded with a promotion,” he told Kasapafmonline.com on Tuesday.

Kofi AnokyeDarko’s appointment and membership of the Commission first became centre of controversy, when it was revealed during the Commission’s sittings that he was part of a group formed in 2009 comprising mainly leading members of the NDC with the sole purpose of destabilizing the GFA and changing the leadership at the Football Association.

The current scandal blew up in late November 2014 when Ben Nunoo-Mensah, a Presidential staffer called in to a Happy FM programme to challenge FA stalwart and another NDC frontman, Kofi Manu on some comments he had made.

While reacting, Ben Nunoo Mensah disclosed that in 2009, a core group of certain eminent NDC personalities were formed made up of  Joseph Ade Coker, Nii Lantey Vanderpuije, Koku Anyidoho, Kojo Twum-Boafo, Ben Nunoo-Mensah, Kojo Bonsu, Oteng Arthur and Kofi Anokye-Darko, one of the commissioners on the Brazil 2014 World Cup Commission to bring the FA under the direct control of the government. He also questioned the principles of Kofi Manu and wondered what had changed for Kofi Manu to be defending the GFA now, since Kofi Manu was part of the group and was in agreement with all their plans then.

Kofi Manu admitted to the existence of the group and provided more details of what the group was formed to do and their modus operandi.

“I kept all of this information to myself since 2009. I am only speaking because surprisingly, Ben Nunoo-Mensah who as he said was one of the core members of the group has decided to volunteer this information himself without any provocation.

After the election in 2009 since I am a known NDC member and because I was close to Nii Lantey Vandepuije and Koku Anyidoho to an extent, I was invited to join the government delegation to the CHAN tournament in Ivory Coast in 2009. When we returned from the CHAN tournament, this group as has been stated by Ben Nunoo-Mensah invited me to a meeting at Castle Annex. The duty they gave me was for them to use me to destabilize the GFA so as to oust Kwasi Nyantakyi. They told me they are in power so they want to control Ghana Sports starting with the GBA, then the GOC and especially the GFA.”, he said told Happy FM.

These revelations raised a lot of concerns and seemed to confirm the suspicion that the Commission was empaneled to target the GFA and seek to cause the change this group had sought since 2009.

In another development, Ben Nunoo-Mensah who revealed the existence of the group and who has on several platforms openly disclosed his opposition to the GFA leadership and called for a revolution at the GFA, has been named by the Dzamefe Commission report to be one of the people to be responsible for Marketing & Sponsorship on the implementation Committee on the Report.