He is referred to in his party as the GOD. That should tell you his level of influence. Little wonder, he had won such an accolade. So a phrase like “Have you spoken to the GOD” runs through almost every discussion within the NPP. Yes, if you want to have a stake or any appointment in the administration, then you need to lobby the GOD.
The GOD is his initials, but his powerful status at the presidency have made people raised his human personality, to a cult Godly level. His real name is Gabby Otchere-Darko, Just check the initial Gabby (G); Otchere (O) and Darko (D), hence G.O.D and by his sheer influence, these initials have been corrupted to sound GOD.
Gabby has the penchant of responding to every issue in the Legislative Chamber, sometimes rather coy and other times, very robust to the extent of being labeled as disrespectful to the opposition group. Most ministers of state have their destiny hinged on the swinging mood of Gabby Octchere-Darko. Why? Because their appointments and dismissals are largely determined by the man who “Sit at the Right Hand of the President,” most NPP folks claim.
Most administrations the world over, have such loyalists who instead of using their proxy relationship with the President, to help him achieve his objectives, would rather go on an individual parochial tangent which repercussions, always make the government or the administration unpopular. It was rumoured that Mr. Enoch Tei Mensah was one of such in the Rawlings’ (P) NDC administration; same was often referred to Mr. Kwadwo Mpiani in the Kufuor administration; Koku Anyidoho was prescribed same in late John Mills’ administration/government and Ibrahim Mahama during the Mahama regime. Now it’s time for the GOD.
The stated personalities are believed to have brought lots of problems to all sitting Presidents Ghana has had since the inception of the Fourth Republic, to the extent that their ultimate ousters, it’s argued, although through the ballot box, were caused by some of the actions of their loyalists, some of who are family relations. Many are therefore not surprised about the fast-spinning news that Gabby Otchere-Darko is the one who recommended for Ghana, the Ghanaian-born Irish coach, Chris Houghton to handle the Black Stars after the dismissal of Serbian coach Milovan.
Could anyone dispute that? Certainly not. It was clear from many of Gabby’s tweets on the abysmal performance of the Black Stars that the GOD wanted the Serbian trainer out of the Stars’ job in the immediate aftermath of the team’s inability to qualify even from the group stage of the AFCON, currently at the quarter final stage in Cameroun.
And checking from his overwhelming influence in the administration, none can doubt the authenticity of what is making the rounds. Chief critic of the administration, the United States based Kevin Taylor was the first to break the news on his Loud Silence media platform. Again, the Ghana Football Association couldn’t have done anything about the supposed Gabby induced decision.
It was government that impressed on the GFA to sack Milovan and the Kurt Okraku-led FA had no choice than to oblige to the government’s order. In a country where football administration is supposed to run out of governmental control, the FA has very little to resist any such intrusion because the salary of coaches are paid by government; the camping and the payment of players’ allowances are all borne by government; so who can withstand any such government decision? It’s obvious, none can!
The Black Stars posted the worse AFCON performance since Ghana first made appearance in the continental soccer fiesta in 1963. It comes closest to the Buake debacle of 1984 where the Stars were booted out after the group stage matches with Nigeria, Algeria and Malawi. Ghana lost the first match against the Super Eagles 2-1; beaten 2-0 by Algeria; before an Opoku Nti solitary goal ensured that the Stars earned a respectable two points before exiting the competition.
Ghana is meanwhile paired against perennial West African rivals Nigeria, in a crucial two-legged final World Cup qualifier in March, 2022. And from all indications, this could be Chris Houghton’s major assignment, if Ghana should agree to hire the services of the former Brighton and Hove Albion dug-out man. After three successive appearances in Germany, 2006; South Africa 2010 and Brazil 2014, Ghana failed to qualify for the Russian tournament in 2018.
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