Alhaji Raji: Petition to pardon Nyantakyi is misplaced

A Former Ghana League Clubs Association (GHALCA) chairman, Alhaji Ali Raji, believes the petition being considered by clubs to President Akufo-Addo to pardon a former president of the Ghana Football Association (GFA), Mr Kwesi Nyantakyi, is misplaced.

“It is an unfortunate and ill-thought decision; we must respect the rule of law and allow the man (Nyantakyi) who is in court to exhaust the legal regime,” Alhaji Raji told Daily Graphic in an interview yesterday.

Raji’s argument

Alhaji Raji explained further that Mr Nyantakyi was a young man with political ambitions who must be allowed to take decisions for himself.

He, therefore, challenged the petitioners to come out and identify themselves since not all clubs supported such a move.

“We don’t know these petitioners; they have to identify themselves. It appears this so-called petition is going round in football circles with faceless people,” he stated.

Petition

Varying opinions have greeted the petition being discussed by some clubs to be presented to the President later to consider pardoning the beleaguered former GFA president from prosecution.

One Man’s appeal

One of the petitioners, Abraham Boakye, alias ‘One Man Supporter’, a known critic of the former FA boss, told Daily Graphic yesterday that he believed Mr Nyantakyi must be forgiven and pardoned by the President.

“Nyantakyi and I had problems but vengeance is of the Lord and he is remorseful now and must be pardoned. We want the President to forgive him and stop the prosecution,” he insisted.

Mr Boakye said a prosecution by the state after all that the man had been through would be too harsh and could affect the mental capacity of an already broken man.

“We are on our knees begging the President; we are aware Nyantakyi is also in court, but we want the President to intervene and  forgive him,” he appealed.