‘Power corrupt’ Kwesi Nyantakyi wasn’t my friend: Ex-GFA Vice President George Afriyie
Afriyie, 50 served as the Vice President of Kwesi Nyantayi for three years, but he was forced out of office by the Executive Committee, after he fell out with his boss.
He has stated that he had a good working relationship with Kwesi Nyantakyi, although, he wasn’t his friend and added that the former President of GFA failed because he became power drunk.
''A friend is someone you constantly visit, share ideas, both families have some level of ties, to call someone a friend is so deep, but for me he was boss and we enjoyed a very good working relationship, that is how I want to put it, because the one I call my friend the minimum times I visit his house in a year is not less than 10 times, but for Mr. Nyantakyi throughout my association with him when I knew him in 2003, 2004, I have been to his house a maximum of 4 times,'' he said on Citi TV’s Face to Face program.
''The truth is, I will die for anything I believe in. At the time Kwesi Nyantakyi came into power, at the time I saw his vision, zeal, vim and everything, I was ready to do anything, no doubt about that. It was about his vision. He was a good listener at that time.
''It is normal with every leader, it gets to a point where you become too corrupted with power, because the last days of Mr. Kwesi Nyantakyi I feel so sorry because you could see it coming
''I wouldn’t want to say things about a man who won’t be here to defend himself, but the truth is that circumstances leading to my removal as GFA Vice-President is clear and out there for everyone to see, these are so fresh in the minds of a lot of people in the country.'
Kwesi Nyantakyi served as president of the Ghana Football Association for 13 year. He rose to the high positions at WAFU, CAF and FIFA, as President, 1st Vice President and Executive Council, respectively.
However, he initially resigned from all his positions as a football administrator after he was caught on camera receiving monies suspected to be bribe, before suffering a lifetime ban from FIFA.