The Minister of Youth and Sports, Mustapha Ussif, has appealed to football clubs to sensitise their supporters in order to eschew hooliganism.
This, he stated, would go a long way to enhance the giant strides the Ministry in collaboration with its agencies have made to ensure safety for football fans and other stakeholders.
He gave the advice at the 23rd edition of the May 9 Stadium Disaster commemorative wreath-laying ceremony held at the forecourt of the Accra Sports Stadium, yesterday.
He said it was important for Ghanaians to remember the deceased fans from the biggest African football tragedy, adding that,”It is my desire to never see it occur again.”
He disclosed that the Ministry was in talks with partners to establish an insurance scheme for sports fans that will support and assist in such cases.
The President of the Ghana Football Association (GFA), Mr Kurt Okraku, said the government, National Sports Authority (NSA), and the GFA have taken decisive decisions to ensure that they protect the lives of footballers, fans and properties.
He further noted that the football ecosystem had seen much improvement in the areas of regulations, strict compliance with club licensing, and other key football policies.
But he again said that, “despite these developments, some fans still manage to involve themselves in some barbaric acts, and the association is working to take legal actions against such culprits.”
The Deputy Director-General of the NSA, Mr Abdul Majeed Bawah, urged the GFA to apply strict sanctions against hooligans, adding that it was time they enforced the rules of the GFA so that hooligans would be deterred from the act that destroyed the game and keep people away from the stadium.
As part of the commemoration, the minister later laid a wreath on behalf of the president and people of Ghana while the GFA president and representatives of Accra Hearts of Oak and Kumasi Asante Kotoko also laid one each for the departed souls.
BY RAYMOND ACKUMEY
