It is right and appropriate to congratulate President-elect, John Dramani Mahama and his National Democratic Congress (NDC) party upon their resounding victory in the December 2024 Parliamentary and Presidential election.
This is not a political platform but then given the importance of sports to nation building, it is impossible not to talk about John Mahama’s overwhelming endorsement by Ghanaians and what that could mean for everything Ghanaian including sports.
Therefore, I say congrats to the President elect and the NDC. Some people are interestingly and naturally in a hurry to see the changes that his administration will effect to positively impact life in Ghana. Sports must have its fair share of this impact.
It should not be business as usual with sports. By this, I mean, for example, the ungodly over concentration on Black Stars and the often-unconscionable expenditure on them shamefully endorsed by the government and the GFA.
There will be time to raise the critical issues of Ghana sports – the matters of funding, infrastructure and its proper maintenance, the integrity of our game, matters of accountability, coaching and athlete development, the poor state of the domestic league, underdevelopment of other sports, etc. It is not the time to be detailed.
I am only congratulating the NDC and reminding them of the confidence or faith most Ghanaians have in them; the weight of expectation and why it cannot be business as usual relative to sports development. Four years may not be enough to do everything but within that period, positive signals can be given to sustain the hope of sports fans.
Names are being thrown around in some media circles about who will be the Sports Minister. I will not dignify rumours here. We will all wait for the appointment. When the new sports minister takes office, on this show, we will recollect NDC’s promises for Ghana sports, the realities and then show how these realities should be confronted.
So, welcome back to power, Mr. John Dramani Mahama. God strengthen you. God’s wisdom guide you and your team. Let all who get the chance to work under you, do so with the fear of God and respect for the people, to develop our country and its sports.