Hon. Kofi Adams is on a working tour to engage key football stakeholders in the Ashanti regional capital, Kumasi.
The Valentine’s Day assignment of the Sports and Recreation Minister is critical and timely, allowing him to gauge the mood on the ground in Kumasi.
The Minister, who has been commended for hitting the ground running, first had an audience with the management of Asante Kotoko at the club’s secretariat.
Nana Akwasi Apinkra Awuah, the IMC Chairman of the club, along with Kotoko legend Akwasi Appiah, led the important meeting.
The Minister’s delegation includes the Chief Director of the Ministry of Sports and Recreation, Mr. William Kartey, and other sports administrators, who will accompany him to the home of the deceased supporter, led by Kotoko officials.
The third stop for Hon. Kofi Adams will be the Manhyia Palace, where the Life Patron of Asante Kotoko will host the Sports Minister.
The gathering at Manhyia will be pivotal to the tour, as it will offer the Asantehene the opportunity to speak on the tragic murder of Nana Pooley for the first time publicly.
Meanwhile, there have been mixed reactions from the media to a document released by the Ghana FA titled “Enhanced Match Day Safety and Security Protocols.”
While most of the proposals in the presentation seem workable, the media is questioning why the GFA is placing the responsibility for match safety and security on already struggling clubs.
It is expected that Asante Kotoko will reaffirm their position to the Sports and Recreation Minister, particularly their stance that ensuring the safety of matches is a shared responsibility among all stakeholders — the FA, clubs, local police, committees, match officials, media, and supporters, not just the clubs.
Meanwhile, investigations are ongoing into the gruesome stabbing that led to the death of the supporter at the Nana Koramansah Park.
