The Ghana Football Association (GFA) President, Mr Kurt Edwin Simeon Okraku, has urged the media to offer constructive criticism of his administration and uphold professionalism in their practice, rather than resorting to insults.
“Constructive criticisms of the Association and my leadership are very much welcomed, but not insults,” he stated.
Addressing the media at a soiree last week, Mr Okraku thanked the media for the unwavering support the FA has enjoyed, emphasising that the basic ethic of journalism was fair reportage, which is all he demands.
“Fair reportage is all I ask of you. If you report fairly and it goes against my leadership or the public opinion, and your listeners, viewers, and readers decide a certain way, so be it. That is the truth,” he said.
“But it is not acceptable for a journalist to consistently and constantly insult the GFA President for 365 days a year. This is not acceptable, and this cannot be journalism,” he stressed.
According to him, this negative practice must be nipped in the bud, adding that “I’ll continue to speak against such practices whether I am the GFA president or not.
“I will speak against such practices, and believe me, it will be even more forceful when I exit this role, because then I will have the arsenal to force changes when it comes to journalism in this country,” he added.
He stated that the journey of seeing Ghanaian football thrive to greater heights must be a collaborative one, together with the media and the support of Ghanaians.
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) Second Vice President expressed gratitude to all who dedicated their energies and efforts to association football, adding that “whether you criticise positively or negatively, you are the reason for the success of Ghana football in the year 2025.”
“On all fronts, the media deserves a big applause. If you did not speak negatively or positively about football, nobody would know that football is alive in the country.”
“Speaking positively about the game, like most of you have been doing, gives even more energy to those of us who are direct investors and manage football.”
“We can grow this sport if and when we work together, because if and when we work together, this sport offers us anything we can think about from a positive image and open pathways, to open doors and opportunities, among others.”
“For me, football is my life; it is what feeds me. That is why sometimes I can be aggressive in demanding that we support football, because when we do and we achieve success together, it will always have a multiplying effect across the board,” he stated.
Mr Okraku thanked President John Dramani Mahama and sector minister, Mr Kofi Adams, for the support the FA keeps enjoying, adding that, “I hope this support would put smiles on the faces of Ghanaians as the Black Stars shine at the next World Cup.”
BY RAYMOND ACKUMEY
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