Sports Features of Saturday, 17 November 2012

Source: Raymond Yeboah

B.A. United in deep coma

The Apostles of Ghana soccer, one time Gala lords, B.A United are now walloping in a wayward territory. A team that could boast of a huge support base apart from Kotoko and Hearts, are now in the last stages to join the Division Two League.

A team that contained as many as 25 board of directors has now been left astray like desert goats. A Sunyani based team has now turned to an Accra (Adenta) based. The man handling the affairs of the team resides only in Accra, directing affairs from there.

B.A. United have suffered over the years at wrong hands so far as the chief executive officer's position is concerned. This is because the team lack good administrative structures so anybody at all, provided you are a little bit famous, irrespective of the person's motives, his financial status and any other important criteria. As far as you dwell in that township and you have the will to lead the team, the supporters will back you for the job.

I have come to realise that, among all the traditional teams in this country, B.A United have become the easiest entry point for job seekers. The team has turned to a sports presenters club, knowing very well that sports presenting is different from administration.

The supporters of the club have short memory. It was a presenter who sent the team to Division 2, administrative lapses in his time docked the club a board room of 18 points. B.A. United’s CEO position is so cheap that even if u are a masseur in the club, you could count it in your blessing that you can be a CEO if you get a small car to ride in around Sunyani township.

The supporters are desperate for a CEO so much that they don't want to look back at the past errors of these CEOs. A presenter came and devoured the spirit behind the team, then came a former PRO, still the club did not resurrect from its slumber. As if these same category of people were destined to lead the club as CEOs, another presenter, former Accra Representative of the club who even couldn't save the club from deteriorating when he was an Accra rep, has now been appointed as CEO. B.A. United at the moment don't need such people, the whole structures of the team need total overhauling for a wealthy outsider to come and take over.

Presenter is a presenter, no matter how rich a position he occupies is somehow thrifty, because of the airwaves, they are all habitual gift collectors. They don't give out, they only take. I can't remember the last time a sports presenter donated to an orphanage in Ghana. So, the habit of motivating the players would be a problem and since such people walk with their stomach, they only come to the club to enrich themselves.

The board chairman, Mr. Peter Nimo, if he has the club at heart must come down to where the club is based and stop dispatching directions from his Accra base. Having accepted the fact that the current board of directors are a malnutrition to the team, you can’t just dissolve them like that with a raw statement. There should be a supposed congress for that dissolution because they were formed by congress. Mr. Nimo can't stay in Accra and request 10,000 Ghana Cedis as the only way one can become a board member in the club.

No individual in Sunyani will put such amount forward because B.A. United for now is not attractive enough to have that committed new board of directors.

The team must be advertised out for rich investors. No Controller and Accountant General’s Department worker can handle B.A. United for now, so Kwabena Kyere Stuttgart, you are fired. I am done.

Credit: Raymond Yeboah