Mr. George Haldane-Lutterodt aspiring president of the Ghana Athletics Association (GAA) and Mr. Princeworth Anane have been joined by 15 others to call for formation of an Interim Management Committee (IMC) to manage the association until outstanding issues were resolved.
Lutterodt, Anane and the 15 others sought an injunction on the GAA’s elective congress fixed for November, last year citing abnormalities in the electoral process.
A press release signed by Messrs. Lutterodt and Anane said the plaintiffs were unhappy about the Tamale venue for the congress among other matters.
According to them, the decision by the current administration to hold congress in Tamale, was pushed in the throat of some delegates who were coerced with promises and benefits, adding that, the regional delegates congresses for election of executive officers in the regions to attend delegate congresses were not properly conducted, having confirmed from the National Sports Authority and the Electoral Commission of Ghana who supervises and conducts elections.
The statement said, “we the concerned group of athletes, past performers, former coaches and technical managers recommend that an all-inclusive contributions and submissions be derived from all to present their views, inputs and proposals for consideration at a General Assembly to address this matter.
“We request an Interim Management Committee mandated by the IAAF, the court or the Parliamentary Committee on Sports to look into all the concerns relating to constitutional breaches, skews, expunges and expenditure before any declaration of electoral congress.
“We further declare a level of mistrust and no confidence in the executives whose tenure has expired. We petition that the level of autocratic and compulsive behaviour of the executives and the Secretary General cannot be tolerated. This has brought a great division among athletes, coaches and even lovers of athletics.”
The petitioners claim executive officials of GAA have more interest in traveling than the athletes welfare while the association does not have a place for proper competition and training apart from the Western region (Essipun), Northern region (Tamale) and Cape Coast Sports Stadium. The other facilities for athletic training and competitions in Accra and Kumasi (the major athletics cities) are nothing to write home about.
They also argued that “GAA now belongs to a certain class of people who are taking it as their bonafide property. They go about threatening athletes and coaches if they don’t support them.
Meanwhile, the GAA and the petitioners would again appear in Court on Monday, April 29 for a hearing.
–GNA
