Sports News of Thursday, 30 June 2011

Source: Kickoffghana

Nyantekyie defends ex-co payout

Ghana Football Association president Kwesi Nyantekyie has launched a staunch defense of the GHC 10,000 payout to members of the executive committee of the Ghana Football Association.

The Congress of the Ghana Football Association has decided that the 22 members of the executive committee will take home the amount after serving their full term of office.

The decision which means up to $150,000 dollars of the GFA's funds will be spent on a thank you gesture for the executive committee members has infuriated some with King Faisal president Alhaji Grunsah arguing that it is a case of misplaced priorities.

But even with lower division clubs hard pressed for money, GFA president Kwesi Nyantekyie insist the payment is in order.

"They don't receive any payment. The executive committee is a voluntarily arm of the GFA and they work pro Bono. We give them sitting allowances anyway," he told Citi FM.

"Let us support them. No one is talking about the sacrifices they make but the small money they are getting that one people are talking.

"For me it's also another form of investment. You are encouraging them to give off their services and people fail to put value on that.

"Who will go and look for money for colt’s football. It's the same people so if we make them happy I don't see anything wrong with that."

Despite claims that they do a purely sacrificial job, there is a mad rush and jostling to get on the body which is in reality the most powerful in Ghana football.