Nii Lante and Adorkor putting politics into Ghana boxing

Press Release

20/09/2012



Nii Lante and Adorkor putting politics into Ghana boxing

The National Sports Authority which was mandated by law to govern sports in Ghana under the current management has been irresponsible to its duty to make sure that its laws are adhered to; particularly in relation to the current situation happening with the professional boxing and for that matter the Ghana Boxing Authority.



The Old LI 1088 which was the regulations set in the section 42 of the SMCD 54 of 1976 which established the Ghana Boxing Authority made it clear in the regulations 13 (terms of office for members of the Authority) thereof that members of the Authority shall hold office for a term of twelve months and shall be eligible for re-appointment, so however, that no person shall hold office for more than two years in succession.



The current Ghana Boxing Authority which was appointed under the Old LI 1088 and whose appointment expired as far back as June 28, 2012 and for more than one year of the elapsed period of their tenure, they are still operating whiles the National Sports Authority has been silent on the issue.

The most serious legal repercussion is the revocation of the Old LI which established the Ghana Boxing Authority by the New Sports Regulations LI 1988, though that Old LI (1088) which established the Ghana Boxing Authority has been revoked by the New LI (Sports Regulation 1988) but yet a body is being run by some “unscrupulous” persons who in the name of “powers that be” headed by Samir Captan as Ghana Boxing Authority (without any legal status) and the National Sports Authority are still recognizing it without calling it to order.

The stakeholder representative group – Committee for Professional Boxing Stakeholders (CPBS) – which sees the need for a proper structures to be in place have taken the mantle to make sure that a congress must be organized in order for a constitution be adopted as well as officials be elected as prescribed by the New Sports Regulations LI 1988 have seen their efforts being thwarted by officials of the National Sports Authority which include Erasmus Adorkor, the Chief Sports Development Officer; who upon the instruction of the Hon. Minister of Youth & Sports was to organized a meeting for stakeholders to discuss the road map for the Ghana Boxing Authority Congress called off the meeting in the eleventh hour by notification that the “meeting is off till further notice” without any tangible reason just to explain that Presidential aide Nii Lante Vanderpuye called him to stop the meeting.

This has been the allegation going on since this wake of the proposed Ghana Boxing Authority congress but Nii Lante Vanderpuye has denied several times but yet anytime there should be a meeting to discuss the congress, he will after make comments that due to unscrupulous activities of the stakeholders they were undermining his cohort - Samir Captan.

With this backing from some politicians in the Odododiodio constituency, the current self-styled Ghana Boxing Authority chairman, Samir Captan have adopted the “divide and rule tactics” by issuing directives without the knowledge of his “board members” just to buy time. This was evidently shown by Samir Captan’s refusal to attend a stakeholders meeting convened by the Secretary General (an employee of the National Sports Authority) R.O. Lamptey to discuss the roadmap to the proposed Ghana Boxing Authority’s congress on Monday 10th September, 2012 at the Press Center of the Accra Sports Stadium.

The meeting was postponed by resolution to two (2) weeks’ time falling on Monday 24th September, 2012 with the agenda of the guidelines and modalities and setting of date for the congress.

Without the respect of this development, the so called chairman have sent letters around without the consent of the Secretary General and the board members for a meeting to be held by handpicking his cohorts to represent as stakeholders at the Press Center of the Accra Sports Stadium on Thursday 20th September, 2012.



The National Sports Authority has been irresponsible for making sure that proper measures are put in place by intervening in the current situation of professional boxing in the country and yet they try to thwart stakeholders’ effort of doing the proper thing as prescribed by the New Sports Regulations – LI 1988.



Until the cry of the Committee for Professional Boxing Stakeholders is heard and a democratic congress and elections are held to elect executive leaders for the Ghana Boxing Authority, we shall not rest and make sure the right thing is done.





SIGNED:

Solomon Otoo

For: Committee for Professional Boxing Stakeholders