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GFA fulfils pledge to RFAs
All 10 Regional Football Associations (RFAs) have received a significant boost after the Ghana Football Association (GFA) released GHc300,000 to support the payment of officiating fees for the various league competitions organised by the RFAs.
The disbursement of these funds is in fulfilment of the pledge made by GFA President Kurt Edwin Simeon-Okraku at the 29th Ordinary Session of the GFA Congress in Kumasi on Monday, July 10, 2023.
The funds disbursed to all RFAs is to support the cost of officiating in the competitions organised by the RFAs.
The disbursement was done taking into consideration the number of clubs in each region, the number of matches to be played, and the cost of refereeing in each region. This was done to ensure some form of equity in the application of the funds.
The Greater Accra RFA received an amount of GHc50,000.00 while the other football regions, with the exception of the Upper East and Upper West regions, each received GHc30,000.00. The Upper West and Upper East football regions received GHc20,000.00 each.
The RFAs and the District Football Associations (DFAs) under their jurisdictions, are in charge of clubs in Division Two, Division Three, Regional Women’s Division One, and Colts U13, 15, and U17 leagues.
Payment of officiating fees has historically been a great challenge for clubs that compete in the Regional Leagues.
The GFA is also investing an amount of GHc200,000.00 into the training of “Catch Them Young” Referees to bring them to an optimum level and prepare them for the Regional League competitions.
It would be recalled that the GFA has already provided whistles, Assistant Referees flags, and red and yellow cards to the RFAs to further resource the “Catch Them Young” Refereeing Policy.
The Association will also be distributing referee uniforms to the RFAs in the coming weeks for “Catch Them Young” Referees.
The spokesperson for Dr. Bawumia, Dennis Miracles Aboagye, has criticised the implementation of the NDC government’s No Fee Stress policy, arguing that the programme has failed to deliver on its core promise.
According to him on Starr fm, the policy, which was introduced to ensure stress free payment of fees for level 100 tertiary students, has rather turned into what he described as post stress support.
He explained that students are required to pay their fees first before applying for reimbursement, a situation he believes defeats the purpose of the policy.
He questioned claims by government officials that the policy has been successful and that citizens are happy.
In his view, such claims do not reflect the lived realities of many Ghanaians. He stressed that while some people may appear satisfied, many others continue to struggle.
Dennis Miracles Aboagye pointed to the situation of trained teachers and nurses who have been picketing for nearly six months, demanding employment.
He noted that government responses suggesting it cannot accommodate all of them contradict claims of economic stability.
He further argued that economic indicators such as a stable currency mean little to people who are unable to secure jobs or access promised support.
He observed that telling an unemployed teacher or a struggling student that the cedi has strengthened does not address their immediate challenges.
On the issue of tertiary education, he maintained that no level 100 student benefited from stress free fees in 2025, despite the policy being announced.
He added that in 2026, students have already reported to school without receiving the promised support.
He insisted that asking students to pay fees first and seek reimbursement later amounts to support after hardship, not stress free education.
According to him, this approach goes against what was promised during the policy announcement.
Dennis Miracles Aboagye questioned why a government that presents the economy as strong is unable to fulfil what he described as simple and clear promises.
He added that there is a fundamental problem with the way the economy is being managed and indicated that he is prepared to explain his position further.
By: Jacob Aggrey
Dancehall musician Shatta Wale has issued a strong public statement calling for an end to what he describes as continuous attacks on his brand, following an apology from media commentator Awal Mohammed.
In the statement, Shatta Wale acknowledged the apology but stressed that persistent criticism and what he sees as deliberate attempts to damage his image must stop.
He noted that for many years, he has spoken for the streets, the youth, and people who feel ignored by society, while also promoting Ghana on the global stage and creating jobs through his work.
He expressed concern that some media personalities, commentators, and influential figures continue to target his name unfairly.
According to him, the issue goes beyond music and touches on respect, fairness, and national maturity.
The musician warned that continued disrespect toward voices that represent ordinary people could have wider consequences.
He emphasised that the Shatta Movement remains strong and organized, and that the patience of the masses should not be taken for granted.
He added that if systems continue to fail the people, they have the ability to organize politically through numbers and truth, not violence or hate.
Shatta Wale clarified that his message was not a threat but a reminder of reality, stressing that attacking a symbol that represents millions of people can have social, cultural, and democratic effects.
He called for respect, fairness, and unity, saying the voice of the people will always rise.
The statement comes after Awal Mohammed recently described Shatta Wale fans during a public discussion as junkies.
The comments triggered backlash from fans of the musician, prompting Awal to later issue an apology.
By: Jacob Aggrey
