I love the song “Promises” by the American contemporary Christian music group, Maverick City Music. They render in nice, melodious sounds, the faithfulness of God and how, unlike man, God neither changes His mind nor what He says, for which reason we must put our faith in Him.
Therefore, in the God of Abraham, I put my trust. I urge you to do the same thing because God never fails. Man disappoints. The human mind and flesh must not be trusted. This thought was about to be reinforced, when I saw a flyer stating that, all monies promised Medeama as last season’s league champions by President Akufo Addo and Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin are yet to be fulfilled.
I paused to reflect. While not putting the President and the Speaker into the realms of infallibility, I questioned why they have not honored their promises as claimed by the flyer. As a people it is usually natural to have delays in fulfilling promises. The flyer, its timing, and its import are thus in bad taste.
It is a poor, undiplomatic means of reminding the promisors of their word as if they would not honour it. The presumption that Medeama are financially constrained and that they risk missing their away Horoya fixture if the promises are not honoured is misguided. Is Medeama run on donations? Did they sanction the flyer?
Of course not, Patrick Akoto, Communications Director of Medeama told me. “I was intrigued when I saw it” he said. “Donations are okay, but the club does not live on that”. Perhaps, Nhyria FM meant well but for Medeama the flyer was bad public relations.
The President pledged GHS1 million, and the Speaker promised GHS 100,000. Yes, promises must be fulfilled but with no given timelines in this case, attempts to publicly hold the necks of the President and Bagbin to redeem their promises seem awkward. Patrick Akoto maintains that Medeama knows nothing about the flyer.
True or false, the flyer is a disservice to them. It has the potential of straining relations that clubs like Medeama want to build with important people in society. I have not said that promises should not be honoured. I am saying that tact is vital here. The media must urge clubs to be financially sustainable and show them the route to doing that.
We should not be thoughtless, tactless “debt” collectors. Overzealous, needless public shaming by the media of those who willingly support poverty-stricken clubs must not be countenanced. It is a disservice to domestic football, and we must be wary of that.