Chief Executive of African Origin Travels and Sports Tourism, Samson Deen, has stated in plain words that the Brazil 2014 disaster was needless and avoidable.
Appearing before the Commission of Inquiry on his second day yesterday, he linked Team Ghana�s failure to the total neglect of his suggestions to the World Cup Committee ahead of the Mundial.
The African Origin chief said he suggested to the World Cup committee not to send supporters, cancel the fan parks initiative among other pieces of advice; and yet the committee failed to heed his advice.
Mr Deen summarized his World Cup frustration, rendering it thus: �The difficulties, frustrations, stress, avoidable waste, and the near disgrace were largely self-inflicted.�
And suggesting the way forward, he prayed: �The State, acting through the Ministry of Youth and Sports, may have to divest itself of such processes and by compliance with the Procurement Act, more professionally engage the services of travel agents for this aspect of the organization.�
He added: �The Ministry may also consider an outfit whatsoever called and howsoever to be constituted upon sufficient professional consultation, to coordinate and serve the supporters unions.
�It may put in measures to, among others screen persons to more accurately account for same and avoid the national image-damaging occurrence of supporters turning asylum seekers.�
His summery captured the heart of Justice Senyo Dzamefe and earned him some plaudits.
The African Origin boss demanded an amount of $180,000 from the Ministry of Youth and Sports (MOYS) for services rendered during the Brazil 2014 World Cup.
The Commission of Inquiry suggested that the kind of arrangements that ensued between the travel company and World Cup Committee rendered their contract ineffective.
But, Mr Deen prayed the Commission that per their correspondence and agreement, what existed between the two typified a contract though it was not captured in the legal context.
Earlier in the day, the national U-20 soccer side, the Black Satellites, appeared before the commission to narrate their success story in Gabon where they thrashed their hosts 4-1 to qualify for the African Youth Championship in Senegal next year.
The Commission lauded the team for their exploits but advised them to look at the bigger picture, which is to be successful on the Africa and world stages.
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