The Executive Director of IMANI Ghana, Franklin Cudjoe has asserted it is possible the about 200 Ghanaian football fans seeking asylum in Brazil were coached by government officials.
“They may have sold the story to them that if you say economic hardship, people won’t believe it so just say some conflict somewhere,” he said.
According to him, it is extremely surprising for the supporters to take that initiative “because all these people can’t just say that there is conflict all over the place.”
Government organized about 600 Ghanaian fans to support the Black Stars in Brazil at the 2014 World Cup.
After Ghana got eliminated from the tournament, reports indicated that about 240 out of the 600 supporters did not return to Ghana.
Last week, news broke that about 200 of them are seeking asylum in Brazil after failing to return home.
They described themselves as Muslims who were fleeing the violent conflicts between different Muslim groups in Ghana.
The government has since launched investigations into the matter.
However, IMANI boss insists the supporters “were briefed by their agents.”
Prior to the selection of supporters to cheer on the senior national team, the former deputy Sports Minister, Joseph Yammin disclosed that preference will be given to the supporters of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC).
According to Mr. Cudjoe, the circumstances under which the supporters were selected give a strong indication that some government officials are in the know of their quest to seek asylum in Brazil.
“They were briefed advisedly to say that this is exactly what is happening…first, they [government] said they were party people.”
Mr. Cudjoe acknowledged it is common practice for supporters, sportsmen and in some cases, students to abscond after tournaments or after completion of studies abroad.
He thus advised government to “start getting worried” because if care is not taken, “the people who do good stuff may start getting rejection [from Embassies] even within this country or outside the country.”
Mr. Cudjoe served notice that other embassies around the world are closely monitoring Ghana and so “you should be very cautious what you tell people to go and say to seek asylum.”
By: Efua Idan Osam/citifmonline.com/Ghana
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