Ayariga: Government will go ahead with presidential commission BUT will tread cautiously

Minister of Sports, Hon. Mahama Ayariga says the Presidential Commission set up to investigate Ghana’s participation at the World cup will continue with its work despite a warning by world football governing body, Fifa.

A letter from Fifa addressed to the Ghana Football Association yesterday stated that the wording of some of the terms of reference for the Commission are purely football matters and must be handled by the GFA’s Congress.

Specifically, Fifa is disturbed by the plan to look into the preparation of the Black Stars and the events at the team’s camp during their stay in Brazil.

According to Hon. Ayariga the Commission will tread cautiously in its work and not incur the wrath of football governing body, FIFA.

. “We remain committed to engaging with Fifa constructively on how the commission’s work can be done without offending”, he told Citi fm on Friday. 

“The Commission’s mandate is simply to find out what happened in Brazil and I don’t think that…offends Fifa. But if they should ask how, we will also look at our terms of reference.”

Fifa claim the Commission’s mandate is at variance with its policy on governments interference in the running of football.

A source at the FA tells Citi Sports: “You know Fifa was unhappy even before the Commission was set up by the President [John Mahama] and inaugurated by [Sports Minister] Mahama Ayariga recently. If you recall, the media got hold of a letter sent by Fifa to the GFA asking for clarification of what the Commission would do and all that.”

This letter is the latest chapter in the political maneuvering between the Ghana government, the football association, and Fifa.

But it appears the Ghana government is bent on repairing the country’s reputation which was tarnished at the World Cup.

Source: metro941.fm