We acknowledge receipt of a letter dated June 20, 2022, with the headline: ‘Demand notice to retract publications and render unqualified apology’ and the contents well noted.
We wish to state that the article (When a nation turns its back on its golden athlete: The sad case of Martha Bissah, published in the July 28, 2021 issue of the Ghanaian Times) as mentioned therein in your letter, was triggered by interviews we had with Martha Bissah– and, therefore, was not done out of mischief or an attempt to tarnish the image of Prof Francis Dodoo, then President of the GAA.
In our publication, we unintentionally implied complicity by Prof. Dodoo as being alleged by the athlete, leading to her indefinite ban on June 2016. Bissah’s suspension was lifted on January 2022, after rendering an apology to the athletics federation and Prof Dodoo.
Thus, once the athlete –Ms Bissah herself,on November 21, 2021, apologised and retracted allegations she made against Prof Dodoo– allegations which we carried, we have no other option than to equally retract and apologize same of the said publications.
Any embarrassment that the publications may have caused the persona of Prof Dodoo, is highly regretted. – Editor
