Gov’t, GNPC should honour Stars bonus — Abbey Pobee
The Chairman of Kumasi-based Neoplan Stars FC, Mr. Jonathan Abbey Pobee, has attributed the emerging controversy over the winning bonus of the Black Stars to government’s failure to implement the recommendations of the Justice Dzamefe Commission of Inquiry.
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He has, therefore, challenged the government to collaborate with the head sponsors of the Black Stars to pay the $10,000.00 winning bonus being demanded by the Black Stars during competitive matches.
Speaking to the Graphic Sports in an interview, Mr. Pobee said the Commission was set up not only to investigate the wranglings that affected Ghana’s participation at the Brazil 2014 World Cup tournament, but also to come out with recommendations that would avert future occurrences.
“ It is based on this that the government should have implemented their recommendation of $5,000.00 as winning bonus to the Black Stars, but strangely enough the government ignored it and decided to pay $10,000.00 as winning bonus instead”, he noted.
He said it would, therefore, be far-fetched for any player of the Black Stars or officials of the Ghana Football Association (GFA) to be blamed for the $10,000.00 winning bonus being demanded.
“It is the government that created the confusion over the exact amount to be paid as winning bonus to the Black Stars, hence their responsibility to pay the amount being demanded by the players”, he emphasised.
Mr Pobee was, however, of the view that with government now vouching to pay $5,000.00 as winning bonus to the Black Stars due to the financial predicament facing the country, the onus lay on the head sponsors of the team (GNPC) to add the additional $5,000.00 to the players anytime they won their matches.
Explaining, he said when Ghana participated in the 2006 World Cup in Germany, it was the head sponsor of the Black Stars that provided the winning bonus to the team in all their competitive matches.
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“The situation is not different from what is happening now, so the government should team up with GNPC to pay the Stars winning bonuses as a way of motivating the players to deliver,” he noted.