Powerful people questioned Appeals Committee’s decision to demote Dreams FC

Sport

Powerful people questioned Appeals Committee’s decision to demote Dreams FC – Dr Bitugu

A member of the Ghana Football Association (GFA) Appeals Committee, Dr Bella Bello Bitugu, has revealed that some influential figures in the country's football scene questioned the Committee's decision to demote Dreams FC to the Division One League approximately eight years ago.

Dr Bitugu, who was appointed to the reconstituted Appeals Committee of the football governing body following an order from the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) to re-adjudicate the matter between Tema Youth and Dreams FC, revealed in an interview on Prime Take with Muftawu Nabila Abdulai that some individuals, who claimed to be the owners of the country's football, were unhappy with the decision when the matter was heard and a verdict was issued.

Dreams FC was demoted in November 2016 for featuring a player with two separate nomenclature, Cudjoe Mensah/Daniel Gozah before their qualification to the Ghana Premier League in 2016.

Tema Youth filed a protest, but it was dismissed by the GFA Disciplinary Committee leading to the legal action at CAS.

The Swiss sports adjudicatory body ordered the FA to have a matter heard by a different panel, leading to the inclusion of Dr Bitugu.

"You recall when Tema Youth lost the case at the Ghana Football Association, they took it to CAS. CAS wrote back and fell short of saying it is obvious that something has to be done about it and ordered that the case has to be heard again but with different people," Dr Bitugu recalled how he joined the Committee.

"I was there when Alhaji Sannie Daara called me and arranged for me to speak to the president [Kwesi Nyantakyi] and that was how I became a member of the GFA Appeals Committee," he recounted.

The case's complexity was apparent from the start. "The case was tough and I am happy I wasn’t too old in the system at the time," Dr. Bitugu noted.

"I was happy that at that time, I got like-minded people on the committee not ready for any external influence."

The committee, which included notable figures like the current Special Prosecutor, Kissi Agyebeng, faced intense scrutiny.

"It was a very revealing case. I felt that perhaps something needed to happen for the case to be determined. When we passed the judgment, I had people telling me, ‘Why did you pass that judgment?’"

Despite the pressure, the committee stood firm in their decision, leading to criticism from influential figures in Ghanaian football.

"Some people said we know Ghana football, we are the owners of Ghana football. Why did you rule like that?" Dr. Bitugu recounted.

He responded to these criticisms by emphasising integrity in the sport: "If you are an owner of football, then your actions are only tantamount to disowning football in Ghana."

The fallout from the decision was notable.

"People were not happy with the outcome not because the case was unfairly determined, but the question was why are you disturbing the status quo," Dr. Bitugu said.

"Why don’t you just leave as it was. They would say the decision is right, but why would you do that?"

Dr Bitugu's revelation gives credence to rumours that some people trusted with power to govern football abuse their authority, and he identified them as enemies of the sport, but they are found in every sector.

"These are big people in football. Some of us are the enemies of football and the enemies of sports in the country unfortunately, but you find them everywhere and in every sector."