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18.03.2015 Feature Article

The Pen Is Mightier Than The Sword

The Pen Is Mightier Than The Sword
18.03.2015 LISTEN

Am very glad that the out going reshuffled, Minister of Youth and Sport Mahama Ayariga has admitted that his unprovoked encounter with the press or the media might have played a role in the decision of the President to remove him from the ministry. Hopefully he has learnt his lessons not to be arrogant, disrespectful and term the press as unintelligent.

His boss who is now the president, has been dealing with the press since he was the information attaché at Japan Embassy , then a member of Parliament, deputy Minister to Vice and eventually the head of state, very seldom did he has any issues with the press.

Mahama Ayariga be mindful you failed at the presidency under the late John Atta Mills, because you created confusion in your job description with Koku Anyidoho informing Atta Mills, in his wisdom and decision to sent you to the Information Ministry..

I know you read the various headlines which described you in many unpleasant manner when the news hit the press or people around you informed you of how you were painted. You cannot fight the press , they are the same medium the government uses to propagate its programs and policies . Does Ayariga now realized that THE PEN IS MIGHTIER THAN THE SWORD. Would this arrogant man expect the same press to give his division one team that he just bought same publicity in the league. Sports journalist are under the umbrella of the Ghana Journalist Association and therefore if a few of them asked you questions about the Black Stars budget they have the right first as Ghanaians and secondly that is their job to inform the tax payer how their money was used.

I will advise you to go back to read the news of the reshuffling and you will realized that your story was the lead in every paper and radio station and treated different related to the encounter with the press whilst other ministers were down played

I hope wherever ministry you are heading to , you will be guided by your utterance and put on your coat of manners as a trained lawyer and someone who deserved to be called Honorable. You will go down as one of the worst sports minister in the history of this country, by the irresponsible manner you misconducted yourself and defended your actions. Its a shame if this is the same way you conduct business with your electorates

The hall mark of any politician is their intelligence, integrity, transparency and above all manners. There is also very good reason why matured adults not just Harvard graduates are put in position of trust. Ghanaians can make the comparison from when Ghana attained independent till now the difference in the manner the older politicians and the younger ones approach national issues.

The Minister of Youth and Sports Mahama Ayariga has been in the news recently for all the wrong reasons. I doubt if he still remember that he swore an oath to be transparent and accountable first to the people of Bawku who used their thumbs to elect him as well as the tax payers of Ghana of whom he is the chief servant.

I wish to educate this rude, arrogant disrespectful and unintelligent Harvard graduate that once you accept a political appointment you are accountable to the people including journalist who are also citizens of the land. Ghanaian journalist have been treated with disdain,impunity and disrespect in a manner they don't deserve by politicians who call themselves honorably.

Ghanaian politicians by their corrupt and non-transparent conduct of business almost at all times take offence when asked simple and basic questions.

The Ghanaian tax payers still have fresh memories of events of Brazil 2014,the humiliations Ghana"s image suffered the world over and revelations at the Presidential Commission, consequently making it prudent for the journalist to ask probing questions.

During the events leading to the recent African Nations Cup in Equatorial Guinea this past January both the Sports Minister ,Mahama Ayariga and the GFA President Kwesi Nyantekyi were very evasive and economical with the budget of the Black Stars with flimsy excuses like the participating countries will know their strategies. Another interesting issues was their refusal to make public the winning bonus of players and officials. This therefore gave room for journalist to ask probing questions agitating their mind because a similar nonsense has occurred six months prior under Elvis Afriyie Ankrah.

I will take this opportunity to welcome and congratulate Dr Mustapha Ahmed (Henry Emmanuel) to the helm of affairs. I remember when our colleague and Ambassador Akua Dansua was appointed,a veteran sports writer who has covered sports personalities from Ohene Djan to this day, Ebo Quansah, advised her against the mafia's who will influence her in a bad manner including visa deals and budget issues to enrich her and themselves at the expense of the state thereby bringing her rein down in disgrace. She paid not heed and Lo and behold after the South Africa 2010 there were misrepresentation of budget issues for the Black Stars leading to the removal of Akua Dansua from the Youth and Sports.

As a highly educated gentleman and a disciplined soldier who has his own practice am hoping he will purge Ghana Football Association of all the bad nuts to pave the way for the development of other sports disciplines which like boxing and tracks and fields which has given us world titles. In 32 years the Black Stars have not won any cup yet in Brazil 2014 alone the government spent over $ 3,000,000 not to talk about other expenses incurred before and during the tournament.

Dr Ahmed I hope you will be firm and transparent with the budget which is always the bone of contention between the press and leaders of the Black Stars in particular and some other associations. I will give you just a few recent examples Maputo, China, Brazil 2014 and the Equatorial Guinea Cup of Nations in 2015.

I welcome you with open arms and I hope you will change the face of Ghana sports so your name will be written in gold and by your training as a soldier I know you will succeed ,but be careful of the men with tainted hands under your ministry whose only interest is to enrich themselves at the expense of the nation.

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