Jerry Ahmed accuses the Sports Ministry, GFA of abandoning Ali Jarrah

The second deputy minority whip, Hon. Jerry Ahmed Shaib, has criticized both the Ministry of Youth and Sports and the Ghana Football Association (GFA) for what he calls “gross neglect” of Ali Jarrah, the former national goalkeeper left paralyzed after an on-field injury.

In an emotional statement on the floor of Parliament, the Weija-Gbawe MP condemned the silence and inaction of institutions tasked with athlete welfare. Jarrah, a hero of Ghana’s 1991 FIFA U-17 World Cup-winning team, has reportedly received no substantial assistance in the three decades since his career ended in tragedy.

“The Ministry has failed. The GFA has failed. They have all failed a man who gave everything for Ghana,” Shaib declared.

He recounted Jarrah’s impressive journey from local talent to international star-in-the-making, with interest from top clubs in Europe. But all that promise was cut short in 1993 during a match for Accra Hearts of Oak. Since then, Jarrah has lived with paralysis, surviving only by the strength of his will and a modest chalk-making business.

Shaib noted that Jarrah’s numerous appeals for help were ignored by sports authorities and successive governments alike.

The Ministry of Sports has not issued a formal response, but GFA insiders suggest that while the Association has sympathy for Jarrah, no formal support structures exist for athletes injured decades ago.

That explanation isn’t good enough for the MP. “This is not about bureaucracy. This is about basic humanity,” he said.

READ: Jerry Ahmed calls for a medical support for Ali Jarrah 

He called on the government to establish a comprehensive Athlete Welfare Fund for injured national players, covering medical care, housing, and business support.

The debate has triggered a wider conversation about how Ghana treats retired and injured sports icons.