By Jack Adom
Mr Aboagye Ohene Adu, Senior Manager Sustainability, Obuasi Mine, has urged supporters of Ashanti Gold Football Club, to shun violence and help the club?s management to expand and sustain the ?club?s reputation to make it the leading brand in the country. ??.
?Fans and supporters have all the right to express themselves in different ways; but ?the issues is?how do we ensure that we work hand in hand with the technical bench, the playing body, management and other potential supporters so that we positively impact on the running and direction of the club. We don?t right to use violence to soil the good name of the club?
Mr Ohne Adu, who was speaking behalf of the Managing Director of the Obuasi Mine ?at this year congress of AshGold Supporters Union at Obuasi said ??I am not here to talk about the ongoing changes on the Obuasi Mine or the challenges facing the operation. Neither am ?I here to talk about the mine?s costs of production and ?the financial crunch undermining AngloGold Ashanti. I am not going to talk ?about our contribution to education and health? in the Obuasi municipality and the surrounding communities, which have literally improved lives of thousands of people in and outside the Obuasi communities?; cautioned the congress to elect strong and innovative leaders who would collaborate and work together with management to move the club ahead.
Once a member of the management committee of the club , he said ?as AshGold supporters ?you have to fortify and support the club at ?all times, support management? and cheer the playing body, whether they are winning or when things are not going the way we desire?, adding that ?our vision has always been and continues to be the leading football club in the country and Africa; but ?we should bear in mind that it is not every match that we are going to win?.
Mr. Kudjoe Fianoo, Chief Executive of the Club, said the ?supporters ?have major role together with management and other stakeholders ?to grow and develop the team to make it the leading brand but cautioned that given what is happening on the Obuasi mine, ?we should all prepare ourselves to even sacrifice more for the survival of the club?. He explained that literally ??Aboakese? ?no longer has the strong foot to stand on and its legs are wobbling dangerously?. ?AGA is the sole funder of the club but things are not working well for the company. This ?means that its subsidiaries, which depend on the mine ?for their existence have to take prudent ?and judicious measures to justify their existence.? ??Management will be shirking ?its responsibility if it fails to take necessary measures, however painful they may be, ?to improve the way we do things here. In the same way, the supporters have no option but to support management in these hard and difficult times?, Mr Fianoo said.
Hon Kwaku Kwateng, MP for Obuasi West , urged the supporters to throw their weight behind his suggestion ?that the club should look for strategic partners who has the resources and knowhow to take over the ownership and running of the club.? ?Football is a business so the earlier we look for the right individuals or groups to own and manage the club, the better?. Mr Kwateng said almost all the state and company – owned football clubs which mushroomed in the country? in the 10980s, have collapsed due partly to the fact that their owners lacked the competences to run the team. He warned ?the same fate awaits ?AshGold FC, if we fail to find a competent strategic partner for the club?.
We should all make efforts to know AshGold Football Club very well. We should know and understand the club, ?and its history better. It is very important, as such ?a knowledge will enable us ?to share our aspirations and also put us in good stead to make informed decisions based on the fundamental analysis of the ?team and our competitors. This will also make us true ambassadors of the team to win more supporters for the interest of the Club, Hon Kwateng said.
Hon Ofori Agyemang, Obuasi Municipal Chief Executive ?and ?Hon John ?Ackon, Deputy Minister , Women and Children Affairs; ?threw their weight behind ?AshGold management to improve the finances of the team and urged the supporters to shun violence and cooperate with the technical bench, playing ?body and management to ensure ?the club takes the first position on the league table this season,
Mike Oti Mensah, Joseph NImo Poku, ?Bismark Osei Akowuah and Yaw George, were elected as the new Chairman, Secretary, Vice Secretary and Organizer, respectively. Other executives were Ahmed Faisal William Brako, Felicia Asantewaa, Mohammed Aminu and Ama Dansoah, for the positions of ?Financial Secretary, ?Porter, Women Organizer, respectively.
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