News
Football on the altar of morality
Sudan coach, Kwesi Appiah’s status after Tuesday’s second leg AFCON 2025 qualifier against the Black Stars of Ghana, his native country, would be of paramount interest to football fans across the country as well as officialdom.
His association with the Sudanese football where he serves as the national team coach and Ghana as an Executive Council member has raised conflict of interest issues in recent times.
That situation appears to have overshadowed the preparation and buildup for the match Ghana needs a win badly to stay in contention for a slot for next year’s continental football fiesta in Morocco.
It is not as if these concerns are new. It is not! In fact, they were expressed from the moment the news about Sudan’s interest in him broke out.
From the time negotiation started till when it fully materialised and signatures appended to a deal that allows Appiah to ‘eat with both hands’, nothing was done about it.
Even if something was done, it must have surely been under some closed-door environment.
Perhaps, the silence of the FA may have been grounded in the belief that Ghana would avoid Sudan in the qualifiers or had expected football’s integrity rules to deal with the matter.
Others have argued and taken on Appiah on grounds of morality.
The Sudan avoidance school of thought may be fair because Appiah had work peacefully and succeeded in building a winsome Sudan team that lead Ghana’s group in the qualifiers.
Randy Abbey’s concern was therefore legitimate, although it raised a few eyebrows with the timing.
Going forward, Appiah graciously announced a decision to step down from his position as a member of the Executive Council of the Ghana Football Association (GFA), following a directive from CAF, but TEMPORARILY.
“This situation is contrary to the CAF Statutes and the FIFA Code of Ethics.
“For that reason and to preserve the integrity of the AFCON qualifiers, I urge you to take immediate action to resolve this conflict of interest, including at the minimum, temporarily stepping down from one of the two roles until the conclusion of the competition,” a CAF statement read.
That appears to have solved a part of the puzzle as both teams prepare for the second leg of the double-header on Tuesday.
However, the wording of the CAF letter leaves the door open for a return to the subject because Appiah could return to take back his position on the FA Executive Council.
It may still not sound right for one person to perform dual roles which can conflict in many other ways and not necessarily in clashes involving the two parties.
It appears the myriad rules established to check the administration of the game have no consideration for this particular situation, leaving it on the person in the centre of the storm to be judged on grounds of morality.
Well, since the qualifiers will conclude just next month, one needs to be patient and wait to see the next line of action to be taken by the Ghana FA and Appiah.
But if you ask me, I will suggest a much clearer way in dealing with such situations. The rules must even not let it happen for people to be subjected to moral torture, a test majority of the people will fail.
By Andrew Nortey
News
‘Nipahiamoa’ residents cry for basic social amenities
Residents of a farming community in the Nkoranza North District of the Bono East Region are living under conditions that directly reflect or connote the name of the township, Nipahiamoa.
The name of the town, Nipahiamoa, when translated directly means ‘humans need help.’
Despite the contribution in ensuring there is sufficient food in not only the region but the country at large, Nipahiamoa lacks basic social amenities to make life enjoyable after their farming activities.
water for the people of Nipahiamoa
According to some of the members of the community that The Spectator spoke to during a visit to the area, they lacked basic needs such as potable water, health post, among others.
This, they claimed, was impacting negatively on their general wellbeing and appealed to authorities to come to their aid.
The Unit Committee chairman of Nipahiamoa, Mr James Najohnbo, told this paper on Thursday that successive governments have neglected the town over the years.
“It is the reason we are where we are today in this era of development. Some people poke fun that our condition is a reflection of the name of the town but I don’t believe that. We have been neglected by governments over the years. There are no government initiatives here,” he explained.
The community, inhabited by over one thousand people, mostly settlers, is located on the Techiman-Kintampo stretch of the Trans-ECOWAS highway which connect from Tema to Mali.
Mr Najohnbo, who conducted this reporter around, revealed that a borehole constructed for the community by the former Member of Parliament for Nkoranza North, Major Derrick Oduro, had since broke down, compelling the people to turn to the Bono manso waterfalls which they trek several kilometres for their source of water.
Mr Najohnbo stated that their children are not left out in this challenges as they had to trek to either Manso or Dweneho, about two kilometres to access healthcare and education.
He added that a wooden structure constructed in 1994 currently serves as the only primary school for the community.
“Our kids had to trek several kilometres to Manso to attend school which come at cost to most parents.”
A 30-year old hairdresser, Rebecca Dibenpong, also appealed to authorities to come up with income generating activities to boost economic lives of the people.
She alleged that politicians often claimed they don’t have enough numbers to attract development, hence such initiatives were directed to bigger communities.
Like the name suggest, Nipahiamoa, the community needs urgent attention to make life meaningful for the people who contribute to the national economy by way of their farming activities.
From Daniel Dzirasah, Nipahiamoa
News
Maternal mortality rate increases in Ashanti Region
The Ghana Health Service has revealed a staggering statistic of 1,000 women losing their lives during childbirth in the Ashanti Region between 2020 and 2024.
This alarming number, according to the Regional Health Director, Dr Frank Adomanko Boateng, highlights the persistent challenge of maternal mortality in Ghana, despite efforts to improve maternal healthcare.
Dr Adomanko Boateng, therefore emphasized on an urgent need for stronger interventions to curb the high rate of maternal deaths.
Speaking at the 2024 Regional Health Forum, he indicated that “Ghana is struggling to meet the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target of reducing maternal mortality to 70 deaths per 100,000 live births by 2030.”
Dr Boateng stressed that time was of the essence, saying, “The clock is ticking, and we must double our efforts.”
He called for intensified measures over the next six years to bridge the gap and prevent further loss of lives.
Ghana’s maternal mortality ratio, he noted, has been declining from 760 deaths per 100,000 live births in 1990 to 310 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2017.
However, “the country still faces significant challenges in reducing maternal mortality, particularly in regions like Ashanti.”
To address the issue, he said, Ghana has been working to improve maternal healthcare through various initiatives, including the Network for Improving Quality of Care for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health.
The country aims to reduce maternal mortality by strengthening healthcare systems, improving access to quality care, and enhancing community engagement
From Kingsley E. Hope,
Kumasi
