Ace investigative journalist, Anas Aremeyaw Anas, has revealed that the controversial payment of $577,500 to some officials of the Black Stars during the 2014 World Cup in Brazil triggered his latest investigative piece, “Number 12”.
The much-talked-about “Number 12” investigative piece, which focuses on alleged corruption in Ghana football, premieres Wednesday, June 6 at the Accra International Conference Center.
The infamous co-efficient term was first introduced to Ghanaians by beleaguered FA boss, Kwesi Nyantakyi when he appeared before the Dzamefe Commission.
READ ALSO: Number12: Anas names Ghana’s sporting heroes and villains
“…The honorarium cuts across all the national teams from Black Stars to the Under-17, both male and female, and it is the same practice. The reference to the number seven (7) is just a coefficient used to multiply the money. People who are management are not limited to the management committee and that is why the budget says Management,” Mr Nyantakyi told the Commission.
“This has been the practice, indeed in 2010 we were called to EOCO to answer the same questions and it is from there that the current operational arrangements came up. Before 2010, only the secretary signed for it, but when we went to EOCO they raised issues about why there was no authority from the executive committee, and that is why I now had to authorise the payment,” he further explained.
However, Anas Aremeyaw Anas said the funny explanation by the FA boss pushed him to do a piece on Ghana football.
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In his latest article titled, “Of Ghana’s Sporting Heroes And Villains: The Silent Musings Of Anas Aremaeyaw Anas – #Number12”, Anas said, “ As I mentioned at the beginning of this article, sports is not my domain. Apart from a short article criticising some discriminatory recommendations in the Government’s White Paper on the Justice Sule Nasr Gbadegbe Committee report, I have not bothered to do sports reporting. I have always considered it a pastime for Ghanaians with no bearing on the bread-and-butter issues and with no big bucks for any big boss to blow.
“However, after the infamous “co-efficient” payouts to officials of the Black Stars Brazil 2014 World Cup contingent amounting to $577,500, I have begun to look at football especially differently. This is why I am so sporty today. But again, although I have followed the game a little, in terms of football reporting, I am a novice,”.
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