A stitch in time saves ‘lives’...

I think we would all agree that it is incumbent upon the state authorities to ensure that procedures are in place so that breaches of the peace (and the subsequent criminal charges which could follow) are prevented. 

Matters affecting security impact the criminal justice system and deserve serious scrutiny.

This was highlighted by recent incidents at the Accra Sports Stadium. The chaotic happenings before, during and after the game between the Black Stars and Chad are the catalyst for this week's article.

What transpired at the stadium in terms of security was a total failure which demands immediate attention to forestall future catastrophes. This write-up is to bring to the fore some of the problems with a view to finding solutions.

As a ‘dyed in the wool’ football mad enthusiast, yours truly, bought tickets in advance for the game on Friday. My love for football is deep seated and historic, having been nurtured as far back as my primary school days following Accra Hearts of Oak, the undisputed best club in Ghana in football history (deep unalloyed apologies to the supporters of Kotoko who might have reason to contest the above statement), to my days in London where my love for pure football found an outlet in following the ‘Gunners’ of North London — the famous team of Arsenal.

I even dabbled in football punditry by joining the anchor of OBLS (a London-based TV station), Dr Kwaku Ofosu Asare, to analyse football issues. Now on to the serious business....

Ticketing

The first beef I would like to raise has to do with ticketing. In this day of advanced technological and digital development, the organisers could have done better than the physical selling of the tickets at the Accra Sports Stadium.

The tickets could have been sold online well in advance so as to enable football fans to comfortably sit at home to purchase the tickets.

Security

The next issue which irked a lot of football fans and which, in my humble opinion, carries the most serious blame, was the total breach of match day security protocols.

The standard protocols such as isolating and confirming security arrangements, conducting risk assessments, having contingency plans for all eventualities including emergency plans for major events such as overcrowding, the possibility of a stampede, fire, etc., were virtually non-existent. 

The object of security protocols is, by and large, designed to define unequivocally the safety and security responsibilities of match organisers, officials and all participants before, during and after a match who are responsible for ensuring the safety and security of all stakeholders attending a match.

Most of these protocols were breached willy-nilly: there were not enough security personnel outside the stadium as stipulated in the Ghana Football Association’s own security protocol manual; there were no designated pathways for people with tickets to enter the stadium; most of the deployed policemen were interested in watching the game rather than attending to their assigned duties; due to the haphazard way access to the stadium was organised, many fans entered the stadium without undergoing the mandatory search for offensive weapons; alcohol sales were allowed resulting in a serious situation where some fans had bottles in their possession; sections of the stadium designated as no-go areas for structural reasons were ‘swarmed’ with fans, drastically increasing the possibility of that section caving in - only Providence saved a near calamity; the absence of security personnel outside the stadium allowed unscrupulous fans to scale the walls thereby further exacerbating the security situation.

Appeal

This is an appeal to the newly appointed Director General of the National Sports Authority, Mr Yaw Ampofo Ankrah, and, by logical extension, to the sector Minister, Kofi Adams, to ensure that the ‘ugly events’ of last Friday do not happen again.

I have absolute hope in the competence of the two personalities, especially Kofi Adams, whom I know personally from his time as a spokesperson for the Rawlings family.

Both gentlemen have just assumed office and are naturally ‘finding their feet’ and settling in and therefore could be excused for what happened last Friday.

The Ghana public, however, expect them to emphatically end what was a serious blot on Ghana’s image regarding our ability to host international matches 'resetting style’.

What happened on Friday is unforgivable as it comes on the heels of the recent security breaches at Nsoatre that culminated in the death of Pooley and the subsequent suspension of the Ghana Premier League.

To end on a happier note, the Black Stars secured back-to-back wins!

The writer is a lawyer.
E-mail: georgebshaw1@gmail.com