<<Print>>

Premier League champions, Accra Hearts of Oak on Saturday passed a resolution to downsize the number of Directors at its Extraordinary Congress and Annual General Meeting (AGM). The decision of Congress to trim down the existing 25-member Board of Directors to eleven was the most critical of three resolutions passed at the meeting of the Club�s highest decision making body. The AGM, which was last held in November, 2005 was characterized by an unusual attendance of a gathering expected to assembly the various stakeholders to deliberate on the future of the Club. The countable assemblage included a section of the highly respected Council of Patrons, pockets of Directors and a slice of the Supporters� Organ. Other resolutions passed at the meeting were the amalgamation of the Constitution and Regulations of the Club into one single Regulation and the conversion of the Club from a private company to a public company in accordance with section 273 of the Companies Act 1963, Article 179. Mr Ernest Thompson, Board Secretary of the Club explained to the Congress that the decision to downsize the number of Directors was largely due to the little or no participation on the part of some members. He added that the large size of the Board also catapulted decision making since the quorum needed to implement pronouncements were hardly able to meet to take decisions due to the low attendance at meetings. Aziz Haruna, Chairman of the Musical Chapter �O� who proposed a nine-man Board, however, in his submission counter opposed the decision by taking the motion for a votes count. During the voting, 40 members upheld the 11-member Board decision, with 18 for the nine-member Board and three abstentions. Nevertheless, the composition of the new Board was deferred and a Committee is expected to be set up to oversee that responsibility. The current 25-member Board of Directors has representation from various organs of the Club including the Council of Patrons, Old Players Association (AHOOPA) and Hearts Ladies Association. The two other resolutions were passed by popular acclamation with active participation from members of Congress especially from the supporting front. The changeover into a Public Company is a major step towards listing the Club on the Stock Market as announced by the Board of Directors few months ago. The move which will see the oldest existing Club, being the first to be listed on the Stock Market is also geared towards giving the Club a broader base as well as raising more funds to support its activities. The turning point of the ticklish gathering was the surprise presence of Bright Akwetey, a former Board Secretary of the Club. Akwetey, who served from 1990 � 1994 on record to have shepherded series of legal actions against the Club following the dissolution of the Dr. Amoako Mensah led-Board more than a decade ago. Anxiety grew on the faces of all as Akwetey took the floor with the most at the Congress envisaging it to be the beginning of yet another legal tussle against the Club following the resolutions passed. However, surprisingly it turned out that the pose of Akwetey was nothing near of the anticipating of the members since the legal luminary rather called for truce. �I have realized that Accra Hearts of Oak is losing its known traditions and I�m therefore calling for a united front. My presence here is to signify for a united front,� he said. Akwetey called an all organs of the Club to forge ahead and push forward the ideals of the Club to enable it achieve its targeted objectives.