Asantehene Inaugurates Kotoko Board

Kumasi, (Ashanti Region) 28, Sept. The new board of Directors of Kumasi Asante Kotoko Football Club appointed by the Asantehene, Otumfuo Opoku Warethe second, was inaugurated yesterday at the Manhyia Palace in Kumasi. The nine-member board which has Mr Kwaku Aboagye Agyei, alias "Maxibillion", an Accra business executive, as Chairman, was inaugurated for the Asantehene by the Ejisuhene, Nana Aboagye Adjei the Second. He charged the Board to use the club's constitution in running the club and to ensure that all wings of the club ''are well organized and properly managed''. He pointed out that the Asantehene has not dismissed Mr George Adusei Poku (Georgido) from the leadership of the Interim Management Committee (IMC).. ''Your duties are to help the IMC to use the constitution to run the club.'' Nana Aboagye Agyei said it was the Asantehene's wish that the inauguration of the board would permanently settle the current confusion in the club. He, therefore, appealed to the board to work towards unity and ensure that a cordial atmosphere prevailed in the club. Peace, unity and patriotism are important ingredients in the administration of Kotoko, the Ejisuhene added. Nana Agyekum Kusi, Oyokohene of Kumasi and a patron, attributed the confusion in Kotoko to the failure of the IMC chairman to use the constitution to run the club. He therefore charged the board to streamline the club's administration and be firm in all their decisions. Mr J. E. Acheampong, another patron, cautioned the board to be guided by the truth, saying they would be approached with stories to sow discord and break their ranks. ''But in all these, you should be guided only by the truth and stand by it," he added. Mr George Agyekum,also a patron, directed the board to reconcile the various factions within the club and consider the re- organization of the club and the recruitment of new players as their major pre-occupation. The board chairman, Mr Aboagye Agyei, on behalf of his colleagues, thanked the Asantehene for the honour done them. He pledged the willingness of the members to work towards the success of the club and to ensure that unity, peace and understanding prevailed in the club. Other members of the board are Mr Atta Bimpeh, Mr Owusu Asamoah, both business executives, Mr Samuel Owusu of SGS in Accra and Mr Nicholas Adu Gyamfi, an attorney. The rest are Mr Eddie Yaw Sarfo of the Social Security Bank, Alhaji Baba Camara, Mr Olu Luther King and Nana Opoku Siaw, all businessmen. A three-member reconciliation committee had on September 17 met representatives of all factions of the club to pave the way for the inauguration of the board.