A BOARD member of Asante Kotoko says the non-confrontational stance of the board in the face of a mudslinging campaign against it by Mr Herbert Mensah, Chief Executive of the club, should not be misconstrued as a sign of weakness.

The stand of the board, according to the member, was a mature line needed to prevent any unpleasant happenings in the club.Alhaji Moro Mahama, who is the Circles representative on the board, was speaking in an interview with the Graphic Sports at the weekend.

He said following the board's inauguration, it took its time to know more about problems in the club. And when the board felt that it had firmly understood the situation and moved to put certian measures in place, an orchestrated campaign of vilification against the chairman and some board members was set in motion for daring to introduce such measures.

Alhaji Mahama noted that just when the board was geearing up to raisee the issue of policy guidelines again, the Asante Kotoko Express, the official mouthpiece of the club, became a medium of public expression of management's disregard for the board.

At the same time, the paper largely extolled the virtues and philantropic nature of Mr Herbert Mensah, amid allegations that because the board doesn't sufficiently contribute resources to meet the expectation of management, it shouldn't have any say in the running of the club.

Alhaji Mahama made it clear that the pre-financing postulation of the Herbert Mensah management was in contradiction with the financial strategy for the club enunciated by Otumfuo Osei Tutu at the board's inauguration early last year.

He said it was at this stage, and after many fruitless attempts to fashion out a more business-like way of running Kotoko, that the board decided that there should be a withdrawal from any confrontation.

The board member made it clear that but for the moderating influence of the board chairman, Mr P.V. Obeng, things could have gotten unpleasant in the team as some of the members were prepared to face the unco-operative attitude of the management in the most appropriate manner.

"Because the club was going to Africa, and we were bent on winning the league, it was necessary not to do anything to disturb the focus.

"Moreover, we had the unfortunate experience of the previous administration (the feud between board chairman E. K. Adu and Chief Executive S. S. Appiah) which affected our chances of winning the double to guide us," Alhaji Mahama said.When contacted, other board members identified themselves with the sentiments expressed by Alhaji Mahama.