A communications team member of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), Ellen Ama Daaku, has called on the Ghana Police Service and the Ghana Football Association to strengthen security at football arenas within the country and apply punitive measures to fans that perpetuate violence at games centers.
She said all efforts must be made to promote the business aspect of football instead.
The NPP communicator suggestions came after Medeama FC’s bus was attacked by irate fans of Karela United for losing an FA Cup match injuring a number of players in the process.
Speaking on Metro TV’s Good Morning Ghana on Monday, June 21, 2021, Ama Daaku said football is a commercialised sport today adding that authorities of the game must consider the business aspect of the sport and package it in such a way to bring rippling profits to the nation:
“The world over we have commercialised football and certain countries are making so much money from football. Look at what is happening in the EPL [English Premier League]. I mean, they play football and the whole world goes silent. Right now my sons have started developing an interest in the EPL and look at the business aspect of it; the betting, the adverts, and everything. So football now is money,” she stressed.
The political and social commentator said the nation must reap the full benefit of the huge investments it has made into our football, noting that soccer is the most lucrative recreational business Ghana has as a state and that it is the only sport the nation has spent time and money to develop from the top to least clubs.
“But we are also refusing to do what will maintain our money and give us more money. This is a typical example of it. Violence in football didn’t start today. Before the May 9 disaster, it had been happening. When we were younger we heard violence against even footballers. There was a whole nursery rhyme about this footballer that somebody killed him when he was supposed to go abroad you know so it’s always happened with us. Whether it’s because of the passion or how you feel about the game. I think that is it. So people really get angry or over passionate when their team loses. It natural” she added.
Ellen Daaku said temperamental issues must still not cause irate fans to misbehave stressing, “Management of the anger that is what our sports authorities and for now, I will be on the F.A and then the police service. With arm-robbery and Covid issues, the police are masked out but now that this is building up we should make securities at football matches a priority. For the other smaller clubs that are coming up, the club owners have to engage with the supporters. Talk to them. And I think because the stadiums have an entry and an exit point, perhaps we should do an inspection of people before they enter the stadiums” she noted.
Miss Daaku called for accountability saying perpetrators of such crimes have developed robustness and therefore they do it with impunity. Being arrested and prosecuted with the punishment she said will deter others from committing football violence in the future.
By: Ernest Tetteh Kabu | Metrotvonline.com | Ghana
