“The best executive is the one who has sense enough to pick good men to do what he wants done, and self-restraint to keep from meddling with them while they do it” – Theodore Roosevelt, 26th President of United States.
After days of high expectation of who constitutes Asante Kotoko’s Management, Chief Executive Officer, Nana Yaw Amponsah (NYA) on Friday released his team. The eight-member body has Emmanuel Newton Dasoberi, Administrative and Operations Manager; Moses Antwi Benefo, Communications Manager; Eric Amoako Twum, Commerical Manager and Thomas Sevordzi, Fianace Manager.
The rest are Dentaa Amoateng, Diaspora and International Relations Manager; Akua Pokuaa Kwarteng, Head of Legal-Domestic; Nilo Effori, Head of Legal-International and David Obeng Nyarko, Special Assistant to the CEO. The resume of these personalities crawled into the social media arena days before the official announcement. Perusing the resumes, it is important to stress that, the eight managers have a groundswell of knowledge and experience in their respective fields of work. NYA pointed that out in the statement confirming their appointment.
“These astute and consummate professionals are specialists in their various sectors” he wrote, continuing that, “They believe in the vision and direction of the great club and have the requisite knowledge and experience to drive the club to achieve its set targets through modernisation and commercialisation of the sport”. NYA said it all! Kotoko ought to be stripped off the aprons of archaic administrative and leadership styes, which undoubtedly led to its stunted growth.
From the resumes, each of the management members belong to the modern world where businesses thrive on proper planning and effective management of resources. NYA made that case succinctly in his statement. “Asante Kotoko is a gold mine. We need skilled miners to help extract the gold within”. NYA’s call for all in the “porcupine family to throw their immense support behind this team to deliver gold” is appropriate.
It is a new beginning. We must have confidence in the Management, which for me, looks like the right notes for good music. Leaders choose people they trust and believe can best perform their assigned duties. NYA has done just that. He has lived up to one of the immediate expectations – picking individuals who not only have the right competences but also share his and the club’s vision of transformation. We must give them unflinching support. That is what we must do.
Supporters’ joy over the appointments must be understood. Venerable sports journalist, Kwabena Yeboah captured that joy well with his assertion on Happy FM: “If you check the integrity, qualifications and accolades the new Management of Asante Kotoko have achieved, it is just as exciting as Kotoko signing Messi or Ronaldo”. Truly, on the surface of things, the Management members have excellent expertise. How this expertise translates into desired results on and off the pitch, is what fans would love most.
They need time to work. We have to be patient with them within the time frame they are to work. It is time for serious business. It is also time for the lost corporate governance culture (which Manhyia Palace wants to see) to be reinstated. Board of Directors must be accorded the respect they deserve and Management must as well be given adequate space to work freely. We should not forget that, at end of the day, the interest of the club has to be served and served well.
By Jerome Otchere
