Is the Sports Ministry not for Northern Muslims?

By I. K. Gyasi

YOU MIGHT recall that sometime ago, Ghanaians jocularly observed that you could never become a civilian ruler of Ghana, unless you had the title “Doctor’ attached to your name. Why was that?

Well, there was Dr. Kwame Nkrumah. He was followed by Dr. Kofi Abrefa Busia and Dr. Hilla Limann was the third civilian Head of State with a doctorate.

These days, Ghanaians say that you must have the name ‘John’ as part of your names. Here is the List: Jerry John Rawlings, John Agyekum Kufuor and John Evans Atta Mills.

The latest coincidence is the removal of three “Northern” Muslims as Ministers of Youth and Sports. They are Mallam Issah, Alhaji Muhammed Mubarak Muntaka, and Rashid Pelpuo. Their cases cannot be described as a laughing matter.

Mallam Issah served in the government of President John Agyekum Kufuor. Not too long after his appointment, he was charged with stealing money to be given to sportsmen and women, tried, found guilty, and jailed. Mallam Issah has protested his innocence ever since, in spite of his conviction.

Enter the government of President John Mills, and he appoints as Minister of Youth and Sports the young, personable, well-educated, and vocal Alhaji Muntaka, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Asawase.

Today, Alhaji Muntaka is no longer a Minister of anything, though he has retained his seat in Parliament.

Alhaji Muntaka was replaced by Mr. Rashid Pelpuo, another handsome, university-educated, pleasant youngman.

Today, like Alhaji Muntaka, Mr. Pelpuo has also been removed from office, but has been promised re-assignment. Under what circumstances were Alhaji Muntaka and Mr. Pelpuo removed from office? First, Alhaji Muntaka.

The Chief Director and the Chief Accountant of the Ministry of Youth and Sports brought almost 20 charges of wrongdoing against Alhaji Muntaka. The President lost no time in directing the National Security Agency to carry out an investigation into the charges.

In spite of the ridiculous, impudent, and not-too intelligent white-wash of the Minister, he reportedly tendered in his resignation.

As for Mr. Pelpuo, to date, to the best of my knowledge, no reasons have been assigned for his removal from office. Of course, no law forces the President of the Republic to disclose the reason or reasons for removing a Minister. That is his prerogative.

All that can be said is that, in my opinion, going by the report of the National Security Agency, the government statement on the NSA Report and the President’s subsequent stout defence of Alhaji Muntaka, the young gentleman was unfairly and shabbily treated.

The NSA Report and the government’s statement, as signed by Mr. Mahama Ayariga, then the Presidential Spokesperson, virtually exonerated Alhaji Muntaka, while heaping the blame on the Chief Director and the Chief Accountant.

In fact, the government’s statement had this to say in part: “The President is satisfied that the Minister’s actions in cutting down on waste and curtailing frivolous expenditures are what incurred the displeasure of some officials of the Ministry, and caused them to gang up against him. The President commends the Minister in this regard.”

Nowhere in the government’s statement was Alhaji Muntaka accused of deceit of a public officer, or fraudulent misrepresentation in order to secure a visa from the German Embassy for Ms. Edith Zinayela.

The statement does not even tell us anything about the relationship between Alhaji Muntaka and Ms. Zinayela. All that it states is that there was a “mis-description” of Ms. Zinayela.

The statement was also at pains to point out that: “The President has also accepted the Minister’s offer to make good to the state all liabilities incurred on account of Ms. Zinayela’s trip to Germany, including the cost of the visa fee.”

The statement could only mildly state that the President was dissatisfied with the conduct of the Minister in his decision to embark on the Germany trip with Ms. Edith Zinayela.

If President Mills was dissatisfied with the conduct of Alhaji Muntaka, then why did he defend him so stoutly when he was asked about it during his press conference to mark his one year in office?

Hear him: “Which Minister has not spent money on his girlfriends? Are we saying that this is the first time ministers of state have traveled abroad with their girlfriends? Is this the first time ministers have infringed the law, have spent money on themselves? How many have had the courage to resign on acts of indiscretion?”

If, in the opinion of President Mills, Alhaji Muntaka committed no offence, or did nothing unheard of, if he merely displayed indiscretion, if he was the innocent victim of a conspiracy by some Ministry officials who were against his attempts to cut down on waste and curtail frivolous expenditure, then why did he (President Mills) sack him, or pressure him to resign, or so readily accept his resignation?

Something is certainly rotten in Denmark (and in Ghana too) when sinless, patriotic ministers are relieved of their positions. There must be something or somebody in the corridors of the government, the party or the Ministry, bent on getting Alhaji Muntaka removed from office. Poor man!!!

As for Mr. Pelpuo, one rumour is that he was punished for meddling in chieftaincy matters.

Another rumour is that the “greedy bastards” (apologies to ex-President J. J. Rawlings) who have sworn to take over everything, including sports, saw Mr. Rashid as an obstacle in their attempt to get at Mr. Kwesi Nyantakyi, President of Ghana Football Association (GFA).

Mr. Nyantakyi is reportedly not only a friend of Mr. Pelpuo, but he (Mr. Nyantakyi) has a Wala mother from the Upper West Region.

Mr. Nyantakyi lived in Wa where he had part of his education. He speaks Wale fluently, and can be considered as an ‘indigene,’ even though his father is an Akan. His roots in Wa probably explain why he formed the Wa All Stars Football Club.

The plot is to remove Mr. Nyantakyi. But since his friend and “countryman” Mr. Pelpuo cannot be relied upon to spearhead the move, while the greedy bastards hide behind him, he (Mr. Pelpuo) should be sacked and replaced by a more willing or malleable cat’s paw. Bring in Madam Akua Sena Dansua, or any other person.

It would be ridiculous for anyone to suggest that the Ministry of Youth and Sports is against a particular group of people, on account of their religious, tribal or regional backgrounds. The circumstances under which the three men got removed from their positions are totally different.