"I was offered ¢150m to destroy Nyantakyi"

Host of Takoradi based Spice Morning Sports, George Kuntu Blankson, on Thursday shocked listeners of OK FM’s Morning Show, Ade Akye Abia, when he revealed that he was approached with an offer of GHC15,000 or 150million cedis to help ‘destroy current GFA President Kwesi Nyantakyi’.

In an exclusive interview with Kwame Nkrumah Tikesie, host of the Show, George Kuntu Blankson, who is a household name in the Western Regional capital after over 20 years of radio journalism, disclosed that he was contacted by two persons who visited his Takoradi home with the agenda of convincing him to support a scheme which is aimed at damaging the current FA Boss significantly to ensure that he is removed as GFA President.

Introducing himself and narrating his encounter, he said: “I believe the name Kuntu Blankson is very popular when it comes to football circles. Almost all the sports journalists know the name and so do a lot of the sports administrators. I started work at GBC in 93 before moving to Sky Power in 98 and worked there for 15 years till I moved to Spice last year.

But it is strange and worrying that you will be home and you receive visitors who are after you, you ask them their mission and they say we want you to join us to dethrone Kwesi Nyantakyi.

In fact, I don’t know them, I have never seen them so it is strange that all of a sudden they will come that they want me to help them take out Nyantakyi. I asked them why we should take out Nyantakyi and they said that ‘can’t you see Nyantakyi is destroying Ghana football? What he’s doing is not good and you are the influential people who can help us take him out; we have heard your name all over Western region and we’ve heard you are the one people listen to most so you have to help us; we have 150million for you, take it so you can support us push this agenda.’

In fact I was shocked so I told them that any journalist who will take money from another person to destroy someone will be punished by God; any journalist who allows himself to be used to destroy someone because of money will suffer because why should I take money and go on radio and falsely accuse Nyantakyi of something he has not done just because I have taken money from someone to do that?”

Narrating further, he explained that those who came to see him maintained that Kwesi Nyantakyi had been President of the GFA for too long and should be dethroned.

“When I asked them about what Kwesi had done, they said that he had destroyed Ghana football and had kept too long so had to go for another person to come and so I should help them destroy him.

"I was surprised. What pains me is that I didn’t think about recording the meeting, it only came into mind after they had left; if I knew them or had recorded it, I would have exposed them for the whole country to know who they are because we are destroying our work by doing what they were asking me to do. I would have named them for them to be dealt with.

"They were two; they said they are from Accra. They said they can’t say who sent them when I asked them, so it prompted me to also tell them that if they can’t come clear on who sent them, then I will also not be able to proceed any discussions with them.

"I am still doing my checks to find out where they are. Anyone who knows my name, knows how I do my work, I am not a child in this profession, you can ask the Kwabena Yeboahs, Joe Laka, Sometimer and Dan Kwaku Yeboahs. I have also worked with astute sports administrators, Herbert Mensah and Alhaji Grunsah and all and I am not someone who will take money to destroy my years of hard work", he noted.

On how he assesses the current FA Boss as a sports journalist himself, Kuntu Blankson was of the view that Nyantakyi had generally done well for Ghana Football and enumerated a number of reasons why he was convinced on that.

“Anyone who has followed Ghana football for sometime will know this. Previously there was no sponsorship for the league, now we have sponsorship, so if people were not saying Ghana football was being destroyed when there was no sponsorship, how can they claim that today that we have sponsorship?

"The Black Stars sunk to the lowest depths, there were times even winning bonuses were not paid even though it was 600 and 700 dollars, today the Black Stars take over 15,000 dollars but we are able to pay; previously even monies for tickets for players flying down was a problem, today that is no longer the case, so how can Nyantakyi be said to have destroyed Ghana Football?

"Before Nyantakyi, Ghana had never qualified for the World Cup; today we have been to three different World Cups, the Under 20 under Nyantakyi have won the World Cup which is unprecedented in African history, so how does anyone conclude that Nyantakyi has destroyed Ghana football, unless there are other motivations.”, he said.

He however maintained that he will have absolutely no qualms if the GFA Congress votes out Nyantakyi but that he was against any form of scheme by certain interested parties who are in cahoots with some rented journalists to destroy any personality whether in sports or in other areas of endeavor.

“For me, I would have no problem if the football people go to congress and vote Nyantakyi out, but I won’t join any crusade backed by some people so we can destroy Nyantakyi; that will not work on me. I have realized that is what is going on now, since I joined broadcasting no sports administrator or even footballer can say I have taken even 500 cedis from him; it is my work I concentrate on so I will be paid.

"I ask that this bad habit of some journalists should end, we should preach for them to stop because if you take the money and destroy someone, even if you don’t receive your punishment today, you will receive it later. It is not only about Nyantakyi, it is the principle, I don’t see why I should take money to destroy Herbert Mensah, or to destroy Kwesi Pratt or any public figure", he concluded.