By Nana Kwame Bediako
Former Sports Minister Nii Lante Vanderpuye has made a bold assertion that the current state of football in Ghana is mired in more corruption than during the tenure of the former Ghana Football Association (GFA) President, Kwesi Nyantakyi. In a candid revelation, Vanderpuye emphasized that despite efforts to combat corruption, the problem has escalated rather than diminished.
Vanderpuye highlighted that while the Anas exposé did bring some level of accountability and transparency, it appears to have only scratched the surface. According to him, the current corruption levels surpass those witnessed during Nyantakyi’s era, raising concerns about the effectiveness of past interventions. “The Anas exposé has helped football to some extent; just that now, I think that the corruption is even more than in the Nyantakyi era,” Vanderpuye stated.
The former minister reminisced about his tenure, particularly referring to the actions he took in 2009 when he enlisted the Economic and Organized Crime Office (EOCO) to investigate the GFA secretariat. Vanderpuye expressed his willingness to take similar actions if given the opportunity again. “If I get the opportunity, I will do what I did in 2009 [and get EOCO to ransack the GFA secretariat],” he asserted.
The issue of corruption in football is not just a local concern but one that impacts the sport’s reputation on an international level. As Ghana continues to strive for excellence in football, the shadow of corruption threatens to undermine these efforts. The future of Ghana football depends on the ability to address these systemic issues and create an environment where the sport can thrive free from corruption.
