President of the Ghana Olympic Association, Ben Nunoo Mensah has disclosed that the federation will send money to the wife of the late Majetie Fetrie to cater for the children the weightlifter left behind.

The decision to award Majetie Fetrie’s family with an amount of money comes days after Ghana failed to represent at the funeral of the late Olympic gold medalist.

According to the President of the GOC, he was unable to attend the funeral due to a short illness and also emphasized that the federation was also unable to raise funds to travel to the funeral in Abuja.

Previously known as Najeti Ogbogu, the Nigerian weightlifter adopted the name Majetie Fetrie after naturalizing to represent Ghana at the Commonwealth Olympics in Australia in 2006.

Ghana’s failure to pay their last respect to the late Olympic gold medalist became a subject of worry to many at the funeral as there was no one to read a tribute at the event. However, in an interview monitored by Ghanaweb.com, Ben Nunoo Mensah explained that although he was able to make arrangements with a team for the funeral, there were no funds to fly them to Nigeria.

“I was notified immediately Majetie died. I took the trouble to get in touch with his wife and the coach. I told them to inform us about the program outline for the funeral. I made all the necessary arrangements as a country by calling all those who needed to be contacted,” Ben Nunoo Mensah said in the interview with Asempa FM.

He added, “When it got to the point where I realized it would be difficult for us to send a representation to the funeral, I proposed that Johnson Aboagye who was the head of the federation at the time he won the gold medal could go with Owusu Ansah to represent the nation.”

“I wrote to the Sports Ministry and it was a good suggestion. At the last minute when I realized it would be impossible to get representation, I told his wife we were coming but due to my short illness and other stuff we won’t be able to come,” Nunoo Mensah further said.

The GOC President indicated that plans are underway to send money meant for the flight to the bereaved wife to help in the upkeep of Majetie Fetrie’s children.

“Today won’t be the first day the Weightlifting Association is expressing its love for Majetie but we will send our money meant for the flight to her so she uses it to cater for the children he’s left behind.

Until his demise, Majetie, who was a coach in the United States, was struck by a bout of stroke and decided to fly down to Nigeria – his ancestral home, to seek herbal cure for his ailment.