Cudjoe Fianoo slams Sports Ministry, NSA over coronavirus fund fiasco

Chairman of the Ghana League Clubs Association (GHALCA), Cudjoe Fiano has apportioned blames to the National Sports Authority (NSA) and the Sports Ministry for the country’s foot-dragging in providing a stimulus package for sports particularly football.

The government on Wednesday announced a financial package to cushion businesses and enterprises affected by the lockdown.

Several businesses and institutions have been closed down indefinitely with workers told to stay at home as the country intensifies efforts to stop the spread of the deadly novel virus.

The football fraternity was not spared. Clubs have suspended camps until further notice, but are still expected to pay their players, coaches and other workers.

But the Ghana FA plea to government to be considered for the stimulus funds to be shared for organizations that have been hit by the crisis was unsuccessful as the National Board for Small Scale Industries (NBSSI) in charge of distributing the package announced that football clubs were not factored.

Fiano reacting to the situation said that, “I’ve heard from the deputy minister for youth and sports and the board chairman for the NSA confirming sports was not considered in government’s stimulus package,”

“It’s painful hearing it from these people because they are the leaders of our sports. They have to be blamed if government did not consider our proposal because our request was made through them, they failed in their duties,” he told Kumasi FM

He stressed if the state fails to come to the aid of football clubs, the nation will be the biggest loser.

“We are all here, we will see party apparatchiks who turn into cheer leaders who will rush to join the team [Black Stars] when they qualify for a tournament,”

“If government is not ready to help us, it is the nation that loses. This is an eye opener to the clubs, in our rush for football to resume, people want to take us for granted. We have not asked government to put money in the pocket of club owners,”

“We claim football is the passion of the nation, these club owners are suffering due to COVID-19 and government is not ready to help them? he queried.

“If these people decide not to invest in football again, they will not be arrested,”

“We are all here, we will see what will happen to the ‘passion of the nation’. Something must be done to save football. We will need to reassemble and decide the next step,” he concluded.