AS CHIEFS AND OPINION LEADERS PETITIONS GOVERNMENT

The chief’s and people of South Tongu in the Volta Region are up in arms against the Red Bull Soccer Academy in fievie-sogakope- and have sworn to remain unrest until the Austrian– led management headed by Hermann Kern is disbanded.They have accused the management of myriad of "sins "ranging from racism, maltreatment of players and workers, unwarranted dismissals, gross disrespect, etc.

In view of this development, Togbe Gbadawu IV ( Head of the security council of the fievie state ) has sent out an elaborately signed petition to a number of state institution including the Ministry of Information, Ministry of Education, Director General, Ghana Education Service, the Commissioner, Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice, Ministry of Women and Children’s Affairs and Ministry of Information.

The five page petition, dated August 24, 2009, was signed by nearly 500 opinion leaders, football chairmen, footballers, sports organizers, artisans, farmers and teachers. According to the petition, many were excited when word went around that an academy was to be established in the district, believing it was going to improve" upon the lives of our people both locally and nationally. " But it explained that an initial healthy romance between the community and the academy has turned sour since the departure of the academy’s first General Manager Sanzio Bahner as his successor Herman Kern "Has only come to team up with two of his white colleagues to perpetuate the sort of racial discrimination and other unacceptable behaviors towards we the people and we fell very much insulted " The petition sited instances where MP for the South Tongu, Hon. Kwabla Wayome, had his complimentary card turn into shreds by Technical Director of the academy Hans Peter Schaller, when the former sent someone to deliver a message to him. " When senior team players of the academy met the Technical Director over the allowances and bonuses, he insulted us and called them ’ Foolish Africans", adding if Africans are foolish, then Ghanaians are equally the same and we ask Peter to leave us alone and go home in order not to tarnish the good image of the Red Bull" . It also accused the academy for selling used boots that were brought in- tax-free to the community and wondered whether the institution has forgotten about it social responsibility. Also contain in the petition was arbitrary dismissals of teachers and Director of the academy Benedictus Dzokoto about two months ago.

Mr. Dzokoto in his annual report submitted to management on July 29, recommended an adjustment I the training schedule of players to allow for efficient performance in the class room " Since the boys were consistently complaining of fatigue."

But this did not go down well with the Managing Director who called him two weeks later, asking him not to report when the academy reopens on September 15. The petition made a humble appeal to the Red Bull Academy parent company in Austria to consider the re-appointment of Sanzio Bahner in the supreme interest of the people of Fievie-Sogakope.

It also requested the appropriate authorities to launch an investigation into activities of the academy.

It will be recall that the Ghanaian Times on August 25, this year published a story