Bravo To Those Who Helped Retain The Name Theodosia Okoh Hockey Stadium

Author's note: This piece was written on on 27/7/2013. Iti si being posted today, because I was unable to do so on the day. Please read on:


Peace FM's Kwame Sefa Kayi's 25 July 2013 Kokrokoo morning show  interview,  with the Accra Metropolitan Assembly's (AMA) Chief Executive, Dr. Okoh Vanderpuije,  in which he tried to elicit from the AMA boss, the  reason for  the change of name of the national hockey stadium, from the Theodosia Okoh Hockey Stadium  to the John Atta Mills Hockey Stadium, will forever remain a classic example of sycophancy gone mad,  in the world of Ghanaian politics.


The AMA  Chief Executive, Dr.  Okoh Vanderpuije's forked-tongue  attempt to justify something that would have horrified the late President Mills,  had he been alive,  was a study in justification of the unjustifiable and the mendacity of some politicians.


Seldom has such a  breakfast show PR disaster been aired live,  in real time, since radio broadcasting was liberalised in Ghana, after the promulgation of the 1992 constitution.


President Mahama deserves to be commended for acting swiftly,  to end an injustice done to a genuine Ghanaian heroine in her nineties - and   who designed Ghana's national flag, incidentally  - that the late President Mills would never have countenanced.


Whiles we are at it, why don't the authorities also act to  correct the injustice done to the late Mr. Ohene Djan -  after whom the refurbished  national sports stadium in Accra was named:  but whose memory was also bismirched  and suffered the same fate Theodosia Okoh suffered for a few hours yesterday?


Thank goodness that Theodosia Okoh's  pain at having the honour bestowed upon her,    cruelly snatched from her,  by the high-handedness of the AMA,    was fortunately   relieved after a few hours,    by the swift intervention of President Mahama. Kudos to the President.


And bravo to  all those fair-minded and patriotic individuals across Ghana, whose sense of fairness and outrage,  at the needless injustice done to Mrs. Theodosia Salome Okoh,  made them act to ensure that  the  name Theodosia Okoh Hockey Stadium  was retained -   to honour a genuine Ghanaian heroine and old Achimotan.


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