Ghanaian football referees have made a passionate appeal to President John Dramani Mahama, drawing his attention to the harsh financial challenges they are facing due to five months of unpaid salaries.
The referees, who serve across various divisions of the Ghana Football Association (GFA), expressed deep frustration over what they describe as neglect by the current administration and are calling on Mahama—who is also the flagbearer of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC)—to intervene and advocate for their plight.
According to them, the delay in payments has disrupted their livelihoods, with some reportedly taking on odd jobs or relying on friends to survive. Many say the situation has affected their morale, performance, and commitment to the game, raising concerns about the integrity and future of officiating in Ghanaian football.
The referees also criticised the lack of communication and transparency from the Ghana Football Association regarding the delays, calling the silence disrespectful and disheartening. They urged the GFA to provide clear timelines and ensure referees are treated with the dignity they deserve.
The referees are in financial turmoil, with officials across all leagues still waiting for allowances covering 22 weeks of matches from the recently finished 2024/25 season.
George Saijah, who chairs the referees’ body, speaking on Accra-based Asempa FM, said match officials have only been paid for 12 weeks out of 34 total weeks across the Premier League, Division One, and Women’s League.
The situation has become so dire that referees are having to fund their own travel and expenses just to do their jobs, with no guarantee of getting the money back.
Saijah, however, called on Mahama and his administration to help them out.
“We are calling on President Mahama and the Chief of Staff, Julius Debrah, to come to our aid. We can’t keep pre-financing games. We are suffering, and we need our money.
“The Referees Association of Ghana has served this nation with dedication, but the GFA has failed to clear its debt,” he stated.
Saijah also accused GFA president Kurt Okraku of sidelining the referees’ association in key decisions, including who gets picked to officiate matches.
“We had a meeting with the President of the Ghana Football Association (GFA), Kurt Okraku, and we complained to him about how RAG has suddenly been sidelined. We told him RAG cannot exist while a different body appoints referees to officiate matches, but he didn’t give us any positive feedback,” he added.
Their decision to appeal to President Mahama, they said, stems from past experiences under his administration, where they claim payments were more regular and support for sports officials was relatively stronger.
While Mahama has yet to officially respond to the plea, the call adds to a growing list of complaints from various sectors of Ghanaian sports about inadequate support and funding.
