Ghana govt., B.T. Baba hold ‘productive’ meeting in Switzerland, IOC says

On June 24 in Lausanne, Switzerland, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) held a productive meeting with representatives from the Ghana Olympic Committee (GOC), led by its President, Mr Benson T. Baba, and from the government of Ghana, headed by the Minister of Youth and Sports, Hon. Clement Kofi Humado, a statement from the IOC has said today June 27, 2011 on its website.

According to the IOC, both parties during the discussions addressed and agreed on two key issues.

First, the IOC said “Considerable progress has been made over the last few months to amend the relevant provisions of sports legislation in Ghana in order to make it compatible with the principles and rules of the Olympic Charter, which governs the Olympic Movement.”

The statement continued, “The formal process of adoption by the Parliament is well under way and it was agreed that once this last step has been completed and the IOC is officially notified, the IOC Executive Board (EB) will be in a position to consider lifting the suspension of the GOC”, said the IOC on its website.

On the second agreement, the IOC said “Once the suspension of the GOC is lifted by the IOC EB, the GOC shall immediately take all necessary steps to convene its elective General Assembly as soon as possible. The process shall be supervised by the IOC.”

All parties agreed to work together in a constructive manner in a spirit of mutual understanding and respect for each other’s responsibilities and prerogatives in order to benefit sports and the athletes of Ghana, it said.

Ghana was suspended from the IOC on Thursday January 13, 2011 and it is likely the suspension will be lifted this July when the IOC EB meets on July 3, 2011 in Durban.

By Ekow Quandzie