Former Ghana Football Association Vice President George Afriyie has criticised incumbent Kurt Okraku after the latter filed his nomination to run for president in the 2019 elections.
On Friday, August 11, Afriyie arrived at the GFA Secretariat to complete the process, hours after Okraku had finished his.
Afriyie also expressed his displeasure with the nomination cost established for presidential hopefuls, claiming that the authorised GH50,000 charge was expensive.
“At the last Congress in Kumasi, the FA President said that he has forwarded an amendment fee to FIFA for approval.”
“In FIFA it is clear, there are mandatory provisions you cannot alter, provisions you cannot amend. Those provisions are what you cannot change.”
“The FA President and the Executive Council have asked us to pay GHS50,000. If my brother Kurt Okraku wants to contest for a FIFA position, CAF Position, or a place on the Executive Council, ask him whether he is going to pay money.”
“Because at FIFA & CAF, there’s money for governance, you don’t need to pay filing fees. But here in our situation, the FA finds it prudent that we need an organisational cost and that we have to pay GH¢50,000 to contest for the Presidency.”
Delegates supported a proposal to raise the nomination fees for presidential candidates in the 2018 Ghana Football Association (GFA) elections during the GFA 29th Ordinary Congress.
Congress approved an increase in the nomination cost of GH50,000 for each presidential contender.
This big increase marked a major increase above the previous nomination cost of GHC 5,000 paid by candidates in the 2019 elections.
The decision to raise the Executive Council nomination fee from GHC 2,500 to GHC 15,000 was also affirmed.
Furthermore, nomination costs for the Executive Council and Regional Football Associations (RFA) Chairmen will now be GHC 15,000 and GHC 10,000, respectively, up from GHC 2,500 in the previous election cycle.
George Afriyie, who lost the seat to the Dreams FC Bankroller four years ago, will try to unseat Okraku in this year’s election, which is scheduled for September 27 in Tamale.
Undaunted by the loss, the owner and President of Tafo’s Planners Athletic Club is now determined to recapture the renowned position of GFA leader.
Currently, Okraku and Afriyie are the only two who have formally declared their desire to run for GFA leadership.
