Kotoko fans want Jerry Asare removed from office

Kumasi, Aug 27, GNA - Some aggrieved supporters of Kumasi Asante Kotoko Football Club have called for the removal of Mr Jerry Asare, as a management member of the Club.

They claimed that the continued stay in office of Mr Asare was a disincentive to the Club's development and accused him of being a saboteur.

The aggrieved supporters on Saturday sent a petition to Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, Asantehene and owner of the Club at the Manhyia Palace after a mammoth rally in Kumasi.

Briefing the GNA Sports, Mr Kwaku Annor, spokesperson for the aggrieved supporters, accused Mr Asare of consistently sowing seeds of discord among the management members and also harassing supporters whom he perceived to be his enemies.

"Mr Asare continues to betray ot her members of the management and even make public, issues discussed at meetings which are supposed to be secret", he said.

Mr Annor said it was regrettable that after Otumfuo Osei Tutu had resolved the impasse that existed between some of the management members, Mr Asare continues to demonstrate his unwillingness to reconcile with his perceived enemies in the Club.

The Spokesperson said they were not happy about the unco-operative attitude of the management member, which resulted in the members to be seemingly divided over the signing of Kofi Abanga for the Club. Mr Annor further cited an instance where Mr Asare caused the arrest of Yaw Mensah and Nana Kwame, two staunch supporters of Kotoko last Friday for allegedly threatening to kill him, but have since been granted bail by the Greater Accra Regional Police.

He indicated that the aggrieved supporters would continue to use fair means to agitate their demand for the immediate removal of Mr Asare to enable peace to prevail for the accelerated development of Kotoko. Mr Asare in response to the accusations by the supporters described the allegations as unfounded and baseless, saying "this development was an orchestrated attempt to tarnish my hard won image".

On the arrest of the two supporters, he said that in view of the current incidence of contract killings in the country, "I had no option than to cause the arrest of the two after an earlier threat on some airwaves by the supporters for investigations to be conducted".