Sports Minister Isaac Asiamah agrees to settle Black Queens debt

The Minister for Youth and Sports, Isaac Asiamah has agreed to pay the monies owed the Black Queens after a meeting held today with the players.

The Black Queens players stormed the offices of the Ministry for Youth and Sports to demand for their unpaid bonuses from matches played since 2015/2016.

In the meeting held today at the Sports Ministry with the players, the sector minster has promised to pay the players what is due them by the end of the month.

Background

On Wednesday, 30th September, 2020 Ghana’s women national football team, the Black Queens stormed the offices of the Ministry of Youth and Sports to demonstrate over unpaid bonuses from 2015/2016.

In a letter sighted by Happyghana.com, the players revealed that they have persistently appealed to the Ghana Football Association and the Ministry of Youth and Sports for their unpaid bonuses but their request had been ignored and treated with contempt.
The players stated that a total of 180,600.00 dollars in allowances was owed the playing body and management.

The letter continues “our male counterparts are always paid their bonuses and allowances on time but we have always been treated like second class citizens of this country. This treatment is making many talented female footballers lose interest in the sport.”

Speaking in an interview with Odiasempa Kwame Oware on Wamputu Sports, former Black Queens striker Agnes Aduako, who is the spokesperson for the team revealed; “we went to the offices of the Ministry of Youth and Sports to meet the minister. They’ve been owing us for years hence, our decision to go and meet with him. We’ve not received our bonuses from 2015 /2016 and we are demanding for unpaid bonuses amounting to 12,000 dollars per head”.

“Unfortunately, we didn’t meet the minister or the deputy so we will go back to the office on Monday. Those outside Accra won’t go back. We are all staying here until we meet the minister on Monday”.

“We are hoping to meet the former President, John Mahama to engage him regarding this issue. We want to meet him as our father even though he is in opposition, he should use his office to help us. We are not doing any politics because we have been chasing this money for almost 3 years. We have been engaging the minister but it has not been fruitful. We don’t belong to any political party. We played for the nation not any political party so this is not about any political party.”

“We have equally sent our petition letter to other former presidents to plead with the current president on our behalf. Some of us are suffering and we need this money.”

Below is the list of players who played the AWCON qualifiers against Tunisia on 06/04 and 12/04/2016(home and away)
1.Patricia Mantey
2.Hillia M. Kobblah
3.Cynthia Adobea
4.Rosemary Ampem
5.Janet Ayieyam
6.Janet Egyir
7.Juliet Acheampong
8.Mercy Myles
9.Portia Boakye
10.Elizabeth Addo
11.Agnes Aduako
12.Grace Asare
13.Grace Adams
14.Edem Atovor
15.Diana Ankomah
16.Mary Essiful

17. Fafali Dumahesi
    18.Faiza Ibrahim

List of Technical team:

1. Yussif Basigi – Head Coach
2. Rahid Iddi- Assiatant Coach
3. Cudjoe Addo- Goalkeepers’ Coach
4. Mabel W. Aboah – Team Doctor
5. Christiana G.Dodoo – Team Welfare Officer
6. Rosemary Asiedu Owusu- Team Nurse
7. Margaret Foli – Team Physiotherapist
8. John K.Ackon- Team Kit Officer

BY: AYISHATU ZAKARIA ALI