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Patrons of horse racing appeal for survival of sport
Accra, Feb 22, Ghanadot/GNA – Members of
the Accra Turf Club Horse Owners, Jockeys, Grooms and lovers
of horse racing have made a passionate appeal to the
President, John Agyekum Kufuor, who is the Life Patron of
the Accra Turf Club to help save the course and the sport
from imminent collapse from its wrongful relocation.
The members also called for the immediate removal of the
Chairman, Nana Danso Agyemang and the Secretary, Mr. J.B
Badger to save the sport from its demise.
The duo, whose tenure of stewardship have since expired are
said to be the reason behind the dwindling fortunes of the
once highly patronized sport in the country.
Abdul Jabbar, Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the group at
a press briefing on Friday to lodge a protest against the
relocation of the race course in Accra, said the two
officials have done very little towards uplifting the image
of horse-racing in the country for some time now.
He said the two officials have overstayed their tenure which
ended five years ago without recourse to the Club’s
constitution.
“Rule 19(a) of the constitution refers to the expiration of
tenure every March and fresh elections to be held. It
further states an annual audited report of the Board of
Steward for the period ending January 31”, which was quoted
by Jabbar to indicate that this has not seen the light of
day for the past decades.
Mr Jabbar added that the secretary, Mr Badger has arrogated
to himself unconstitutional powers, which has seen him
serving in almost all the sub-committees of the Club.
“It is unimaginable that one person will arrogate himself
powers of sitting on various committees such as Board of
Steward, Track, Race Meeting Stewards, Handicapping, Project
and Finance, Sponsorships, Tote, Gate and Protocol”, with
Badger also acting as the Treasurer, Secretary and Auditor
of the Club.
Mr Jabber reiterated that the two officials have displayed
that they are not competent to handle affairs of the Club
and advised them to step down for the injection of new blood
to take the ‘honourable’ sport of kings to the promise land.
On the relocation of the race course to the Animal Boundary
at the outskirts of the University of Ghana farms, off the
Ashaley-Botwe road, Mr Jabbar alleged that it was the club
secretary who facilitated their premature ejection when
members quizzed him on the erratic manner he was running the
sport.
“He quickly pasted a notice ordering all to leave the race
course before February 29 with a claim that he was acting on
instructions from the Chief of Staff, and substantiated it
with a letter signed by Dan Agyemang, Special Assistant to
the Chief of Staff.”
Mr Jabber said the supposed letter is in contrast to an
earlier promise by President John Agyekum Kuffour during the
President’ Cup in 2002 where he assured that “a state of the
art race course will be built to replace the current
course.”
Mark Anthony Mansour, a horse owner described the new
location as lifeless without electricity, no inhabitants, no
neighbours and medical facility.
He emphasized that the perennial water shortage in Madina
and its environs makes the new location insatiable for the
sport.
“An average horse lives on a minimum of 40 litres of water
per day and taking the animals there will amount to a
deliberate attempt to sentence them to death.”
Mansour insists that there are not moving to the proposed
site till it is provided with structures and facilities
suitable for the sport.
Meanwhile, the race course situated around the ministries
has been scheduled for a proposed Kempinski Hotel, to be
funded by the Africa Development Bank at an estimated 16.8
million dollars.
GNA
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