The chairman of the Referees Association of Ghana (RAG), George Saijah, has accused Ghana Football Association (GFA) President Kurt Okraku of marginalising match officials, raising concerns over the lack of inclusion and support for referees under his administration.
In a 'tell it all' interview on Asempa FM, Saijah revealed that referees have been sidelined from key decision-making processes, and that the current leadership has failed to prioritise the development and welfare of match officials at both the elite and grassroots levels.
The RAG chairman also criticised the GFA’s handling of appointments, claiming referees have been left out of important reforms.
“We had a meeting with GFA President Kurt Okraku where we expressed our displeasure about how RAG has been sidelined. We told him clearly that it was unacceptable for another body to be in charge of appointing referees while RAG still exists. Unfortunately, he gave us no positive feedback,” he said.
He further underscored the financial pressure on referees, stating that those officiating in the Premier League, Division One and Women’s League are owed 22 weeks of unpaid allowances.
“We are appealing to President John Mahama and the Chief of Staff, Julius Debrah, to intervene. We can no longer pre-finance matches. Out of 34 weeks, referees have only been paid for 12. We are struggling, and the GFA seems uninterested in settling the debt owed us.”
While the GFA has yet to formally respond to the claims, sources close to the Association have described the remarks as “unfortunate” and said a response will be issued in due course.
By: Pascal Amoah
