Unsanctioned GRFU congress: An inside story

The National Sports Authority has issued a release and We have decided to investigate the circumstances behind this AGM and why the Ministry of Sports, Rugby Africa and all other responsible groups have objected to it.

Quite clearly it seems that no processes or procedures were followed. Those involved simply hid behind the idea of an AGM to push through an agenda. Our investigations have uncovered the following facts surrounding the matter.

That there is a system within Ghana and Rugby Africa for holding an AGM. Yes, there is an unwritten but observer role for the continental governing body and you cannot expect them to ratify anything if you do not notify them about an impending congress. The GFA in Ghana had its election and FIFA, CAF sent representations and representatives to Ghana to witness the events.

In a properly organized AGM, the Ministry of sports, the National Sports Authority, and if necessary, the Ghana Olympic Committee, also sends representations. In the case of FIFA or Rugby Africa, they insist, that the media be present to cover the event, not small media, the major media, so that, it is witnessed by all.

It is understood that the process is not by people just appearing to be on the ballot box, but there is an observable and transparent process.

In the case of Ghana Rugby, our investigations show there are supposed to be ten teams playing in the national league. We went to some of the teams to find out whether or not they had had elections and whether they had voted for any delegates to go up to a national vote and not a single team verified that they had been part of the voting process.

None. So how did these gentlemen get up and claim that they were now being voted in to have an AGM to take a part? Clearly this was a sham.

This process is what any observer would have wanted to find out, whether in fact the process to participation was transparent, free and fair in accordance to the international Rugby rules.

This media outlet then decided to investigate further to find out if you have your constitution and your ways, is it stronger than that of your parent body, in this case, is Ghana rugby’s structure stronger stronger than that of Africa rugby? the answer is no. Even if you have A and Africa rugby has B, it will always be deferred to B. That is the way that it works. So an idea that somebody says something is not somewhere and they can do whatever they want is simply not true.

Again, we tried to find out whether the number of days' notices had been fixed by all parties, and the answer was no. We went further to investigate whether all the previous directors involved in Ghana rugby were part of this decision making, understood it, agreed to it or otherwise.

We found that more than half the board disagreed with this late notice, wrote directly to the name that had been put forward to communicate, one Kurtis Minta, and objected to this and put it in writing. So it became very clear that this was not a decision of all concerned.

This media house decided therefore not to listen to either side but to be aware of the numerous governance issues concerning Ghana Rugby. And it found that the legal status stands as follows:

There are two interlocutory injunctions from the Courts barring the so-called participants, especially Abdul Aziz Issah, who proclaimed himself a president, Ako Wilson, Bismarck, and their assigns, from engaging in any such activity until the court has sat and given its ruling on it.

This means, they are clearly in contempt of court for calling for and holding such a meeting and this media house understands they are in court for contempt on two further cases.

Furthermore, we took the opportunity to find out when they claimed there was somebody present from the National Sports Authority, to adjudicate and verify this election. We found out it was one gentleman, Samuel Nii Obiri from NSA Tamale, who is an administrator and who traveled from Tamale all the way to Cape Coast to attend this event without official authorization.

We inquired from the DG's office and from NSA why NSA Cape Coast of higher rank did not adjudicate this and they said they were not instructed and they did not recognize the event. The DG's office was not aware and therefore there can be no representation there.

This same gentleman, this media house has found out, is an instrument who has been used on more than one occasion by the same people which has landed them in the court in the first place.

They had an illegal SGM two years ago and the witness was no less than this same gentleman. The process was the same. Governing body was not informed, NSA not informed, GOC not informed, other directors not in agreement, board chairman and the rest not involved in the process. That AGM was disregarded by all parties including Rugby Africa.

And these are the people who are behind this event two years later knowing full well that they will not be recognized by the authorities. The question that we now ask is, if there are people from this and on an earlier occasion from the Ghana Olympic Committee who also went forward, not on this occasion, but on the first occasion, without locus standing, what is the basis and the future for sports in Ghana?

We have found out that governance issues have plagued several countries in the running of their rugby federations. Besides Ghana, Morocco as well as Cameroon have also gone through similar situations, some of which have been resolved by rugby Africa in collaboration with their national sports authorities and rugby federations through normalization committees.

Morocco has resolved itself through a system that is now being applied to Ghana. That is Rugby Africa set up a normalization and audit committee which is managed and run by Rugby Africa in collaboration with the local sports authorities.

In Ghana, apparently a normalization committee has already been established, with the same gentlemen and part team that resolved the Morocco situation and took them to an AGM to change the statutes, the constitution. Onward thereafter to the elective AGM.

So in Ghana, the same gentleman, Mr. Dave Gilbert, a renowned businessman of very high repute, a former Vice President of Rugby Africa under the leadership of Aziz Bouja, the Founding father in many ways of Rugby in Africa.

One of the founding members, well known to world rugby and to all the bodies, is heading up the committee. He has already been in touch with the DG of the NSA, who has in turn nominated Mr. Bawah, President of Ghana Athletics, the General Secretary of the Ghana Olympic Movement, the GOC, Mr. Mohamed Sahnoon, and is also dealing with a gentleman by name of Denver Wannies, who is World Rugby representative. This normalization and audit committee has already started business.

Since NSA did not authorize its official to attend the illegal AGM in Ghana, The only question is now whether Samuel Nii Obiri is going to be dismissed because Ghana's sports cannot continue going with these bad actors, destroying the way forward for the rest of sports in Ghana.

We understand when we look at what happened in Morocco and other countries, that the next step after this will be for the establishment of an Iterim Management Committee (IMC) to manage Ghana rugby until such a time when that normalization committee complete its work. We would encourage that the IMC should include some of those people who want to contest in a proper election once the audit has been done.

But we say kudos to the Minister of sports, kudos to the NSA for taking this bold action to prevent the kind of wrong things that have been going on in Ghana sports.
We have seen it with the Ghana Taekwondo, nine years in court as well litigated. We have seen it in Cycling, Swimming and so many other sports. It must stop. And it is these kind of events that we have to deal with day in day out.