The National Democratic Congress (NDC) Chairman, Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, says government must also consider football clubs as part of the package to be released to distressed organizations due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Covid-19 pandemic has affected almost every sector of the economy and government is expected to give out some relief funds to small and medium enterprises.
About two hundred thousand small and medium scale enterprises (SMEs) are expected to benefit from loans from the GH₵600 million government stimulus package.
Most Ghanaian clubs have been affected by the Covid-19 pandemic as their traditional means of revenue being the gate proceeds during matches have been halted due to the suspension of the league.
Ofosu Ampofo categorized football clubs as one of the distressed organizations during the pandemic and said it is legitimate for government to come to the aid of the clubs.
“The government must include footballers in whatever package they have for distress organizations. Football is also one of the distress organizations during this pandemic”, he told Odiasempa Kwame Oware on Happy 98.9 FM.
He also urged other Ghanaian players abroad to emulate stars such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Sadio Mane, Lionel Messi and others who have showed love by donating to save lives during this pandemic.
“Most footballers must also use this opportunity to show love to their countries like how other stars have done abroad”. Those who have big contracts, this is the time they should show love to their country”, he noted.
Ofosu Ampofo also called on the Ghana Football Association to support its members with the some of the stimulus package to come from FIFA.
“The first thing the GFA must think of is the Human resource because without the players and teams there will be no FA. The FA cannot operate in a vaccum, it operates because there are teams. So, their first priority is to look at the footballers and the administrators for them to survive before football can survive.
“If you have that money and teams to ensure that the games must go on are not there then it means there can’t be an FA too”, he added.
