Hot!
Appearance fee brouhaha must be settled!
• Grusah – Defends the appearance fee for members of the Black Stars MC
For weeks, the contentious issue of appearance fees for players of the Black Stars and the team’s Management Committee (MC) members, dominated discussions in the football space.
The issue became more pronounced when a member of the MC, Alhaji Karim Grusah, disclosed that each member of the team was given $100,000, after Ghana’s campaign at the ill-fated 2022 FIFA World Cup tournament in Qatar.
However, just as the conversation was gathering raving steam with – many trying to suggest a way out of the controversial issue, the unfortunate happened – the unfortunate incident of Christian Atsu Twasam being trapped in the Turkey earthquake, was announced.
As scores were found alive, there was the wobbling sense of feeling that the precociously talented former Black Stars player, would come well.
Sadly, 12 days after the horrendous earthquake on Monday, February 6, 2023 that later claimed more than 46,000 lives, the news that every Ghanaian dreaded, broke. Atsu was gone! He died in the rubble!
The nation was brought down on its knees. Tears flowed – almost uncontrollably. Ghanaians, Africans, and the teams Atsu played for, were devastated. Though somehow expected after nearly a fortnight, his death was still very grim to endure.
As the nation prepares to give Atsu a befitting funeral, it would still not be out of place to revisit this appearance fee brouhaha – which was resurrected after the Qatar World Cup – in a bid to bring it to a close.
The Stars crashed out in the opening round of the World Cup after finishing last in Group G, beating South Korea and losing to Portugal and Uruguay.
Having been flushed out in round one too during their last Mundial (Brazil 2014), the Qatar early slump may have come as huge disenchantment to Ghanaians who had hoped for a much better performance.
Information that members of the MC of the Black Stars were given $100,000 appearance fee, in spite of the team’s group ruinous exit, is not only insensitive but scandalous.
Owner of King Faisal Alhaji Karim Grusah (member of the MC) – a beneficiary of the largesse, confirmed that he was paid that much for just traveling to Qatar with the Black Stars. And, he defended it unashamedly.
“I want to ask if it’s a crime for us to take that appearance fee of $100,000,” Alhaji Grusah said in an interview with Akoma FM.
“I risked my life to fly from Ghana to Qatar. When we were being attacked in Nigeria, where were those people who are now making noise about the money we took?”
He added: “It’s just some journalists who are only making noise about this, though I agree the money is huge, I think we deserved it.
“A lot could have happened to us, we left our jobs to serve Ghana, if some of us were to stay back, we could have earned more than that from our various jobs, if it’s a crime, Ghanaians should come for their money. We took the money because we deserved it.”
Is that what the Dzamefe Commission recommended?
For all the club’s staggering expenditure, and the pains, toils and anguish of players on the field, winners of the Ghana Premier League (GPL), should be boasting of walking away with half a billion cedis – and not what they are being rewarded at the moment. This is what the members of the MC must be concerned about.
The league winners are expected to take home GHC250,000; runner-up pockets GHC 150,000 and the third-placed team rides away with GHC80,000. Though it is an improvement on what was previously being offered, the Ghana Football Association (GFA) can do more.
You do not give so much to an individual when there are lots of issues at home to be addressed.
Importantly, there should be a discussion on the fees that members of the Black Stars MC pocket at tournaments so as to bring finality on the issue. Coming back to debate on the same issue after the Stars’ participation at tournaments, should be a thing of the past. It must be settled once and for all.
To say that because you went through ‘hell’ during the Stars’ FIFA World Cup qualifiers in Nigeria, you deserve to be given $100,000 for the little over two weeks that the team spent in Qatar, is simply ridiculous and crazy.
There is also the issue of what the Black Stars players take at tournaments. Some outrageous fees have been quoted. It may be true. It may be false. Perhaps, there is nothing wrong going public on it to prevent vicious speculations and misinformation that only come to affect the image of the GFA.
PlainTalk with John Vigah
Ghana’s parliament has marked the 2nd edition of May Day 2026 under the theme “ Welcome Home”.
It was special day meant to celebrate the invaluable support of the workforce, recognizing the commitment, resilience, and contributions of workers to institutional growth and national development.
Delivering the message on behalf of the Speaker, the 1st Deputy Speaker, Bernard Ahiafor, described the theme as very apt, appropriate, and timely, noting that Parliament is more than a workplace, it is a shared home.
He emphasized that we cannot speak about work without speaking about people, reminding everyone that the true measure of our work is the well-being of our people.
He urged that our traditional clothing become an integral part of our everyday clothing, and that our local languages must become integral to our daily lives, interwoven into education and practiced at home.
Referencing Standing Order 63, which captures the use of local language as optional in deliberations, he encouraged a renewed commitment to identity, saying it is significant that we “come home” and present who we are so future generations can inherit a story they can fully tell.
The Clerk, Mr. Ebenezer Ahumah Djietror, in his remarks commended officers for their dedication and devotion to duty, calling on them to go the extra mile and leave legacies.
Echoing the reminder that an unexamined life is not worth living, he described the event as an invitation to reconnect with our roots through cultural revival.
The Deputy Clerk, C&FMS, Dr. Gloria Sarku Kumawu, urged all not to forget their roots, the people behind the stories of ministries, industries, and the strides made both in-house and beyond.
What began last year has now become a meaningful tradition, showcasing Ghanaian heritage, fostering unity, and encouraging innovation under the principle of diversity for unity and diversity for progress, she added.
The gathering brought together leadership, public officials, and staff across all levels, along with the media, standing as a unifying platform that honored service, celebrated culture, and reaffirmed a shared commitment to national development.
Hot!
Manhyia would serve as Ghana’s unifying force …Otumfuo assures on commemoration of 27 years on the Golden Stool
The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, last Friday celebrated his 27th enstoolment with a colourful and culture-rich ceremony at the Manhyia Palace in Kumasi, drawing a distinguished gathering of dignitaries from across Ghana and beyond.
Clad in splendid kente and adorned in rich traditional regalia, the dignitaries added colour and elegance to the occasion, as the palace grounds came alive with a vibrant display of Ghanaian culture.
Traditional drumming, dancing and symbolic rites underscored the deep-rooted heritage of the Ashanti Kingdom, captivating guests and reaffirming the value of tradition in modern society.
Speaking at a high-level Executive Gala organised by the Diaspora Affairs Office of the Office of the President in strategic partnership with the E ON 3 Group, the ‘World-Meets-in-Ghana’ gala, the Asantehene urged Ghanaians to guard against the divisive tendencies of partisan politics.
The event was to honour the Asantehene’s nearly three-decade reign under the theme ‘Advancing Peace and Sustainable Economic Development through Royal Vision’.
Otumfuo Osei Tutu II noted that such attitudes threatened the country’s long-standing values of unity, civility and brotherliness.
He assured that Manhyia would continue to serve as a unifying force for the nation.
The celebration also featured the presentation of commemorative gold coins to notable national leaders, including the President, John Dramani Mahama, former Presidents John Agyekum Kufuor and Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo as well as Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, a former Vice President in recognition of their contributions to peace and national development.
By Spectator Reporter
