[AUDIO]: Nyantakyi speaks: Why I resigned GFA presidency
Why did Kwesi Nyantakyi finally resign on Friday?
After weeks of turmoil, the Ghana Football Association announced that its President was leaving the position he had occupied for 13 years. The decision by the 48-year old was expected, but still was a stunning development.
In an audio recording, reportedly done after the decision was made, he explains.
“When I think about it that’s why I want to take off and rest and have my peace. This is the best time [to resign],” he says.
Speaking to another person, said to be the now-resigned Norther Regional FA chairman, Abdullai Alhassan, Nyantakyi goes on.
“I don’t want to be hounded out of office. That way, people will always remember you with that bad thing you were sacked. They won’t remember anything good about you.”
He then takes on a reflective tone.
“I’m a very patient person, that’s why I’ve survived all these things. I always believe that God is the one who decides everything….. If I even resign today from GFA, CAF and FIFA, I will thank God [because] God has taken me very far [looking at] where I came from.”
“I came from a very deprived background. The school I went to, those days we didn’t even have electricity; we used [a] generator. And when it’s 10pm they put it off because the generator cannot be on throughout the night. so you have to get a lantern if you want to learn after 10pm.”
“You would be learning and the smoke [from the lantern] will be entering your nose –I remember we really suffered.”
It’s been a difficult period for the administrator, who is facing investigations from many quarters, all stemming from the sleuthing of journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas.
One investigation involves the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service, following a complaint filed by President Akufo-Addo after watching excerpts of Anas’ video that showed the former FA capo using the president’s name to persuade foreign investors to part with about $11 million in order to facilitate the approval of government contracts for them.
Meanwhile, his conduct in carving percentages for himself in a sponsorship for the Ghana Premier League has also led him to an investigation by FIFA, who have already slapped Nyantakyi with a 90-day ban, as it looks into the allegations.
Until this temporary ban, Nyantakyi was a member of the FIFA Council, member of the FIFA Associations Committee, First Vice President of CAF and President of Zone B of the West African Football Union (WAFU).
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