Thanks to the swift intervention from the presidency, a second act of illegality mooted by the mayor of Accra, Dr Alfred Okoe Vanderpuije, and his Acccra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) would have been forced on Ghanaians.
Even though it had no moral or legal right, the AMA on the eve of the first anniversary of the death of late President J.E. A Mills, renamed the Theodosia Okoh Hockey Stadium after the late President as a way of honouring him for his contribution to Ghana hockey.
That act of dishonour to the late President and disrepect to the living memory of Mrs Okoh was averted, thanks to the presidential intervention and the millions of voices that condemned the mayor’s action. A lot of water has gone under the bridge since then, and it was last week crowned with a presidential visit to Mrs Okoh.
What happened to Mrs Okoh also happened to the late Ohene Djan, but unfortunately for him, his situation remains the same.
Silently in his grave, Ohene Djan may be weeping and turning, his family perhaps, also aggrieved. Three years ago, Ghanaians woke up and were told that the Ohene Djan Sports Stadium had been renamed by the AMA to the Accra Sports Stadium.
Based on some agitations from some people, the AMA met, passed a resolution to change the name and undo what the government through the Ministry of Sports and Education, then, had done.
AMA’s resolution
On September 5, 2010, the AMA announced that the stadium had been re-christened Accra Sports Stadium after deliberations between the AMA executives. On June 15, 2011, the name was formally changed with the erection of the new inscription
AMA boss, Dr Vanderpuije said then that the decision was in line with the AMA's millennium city project.
According to Dr Vanderpuije, the development was based on a number of petitions received from the Ga-Dangbe Youth Association, Ga Traditional Council and some prominent and revered Gas within the Metropolis, for the reason that most stadia all over the world are not named after individuals.
According to a news story carried by the GBC radio then, Dr Vanderpuije, announced this at a meeting with Directors of the Assembly, Teachers, Heads of Private Schools and individual property owners, saying the Assembly, after careful deliberations and considerations, had unanimously passed a resolution and subsequently changed the name of the stadium
Dr. Vanderpuije also disclosed that the AMA had also taken over the Community Centre along the High Street in Accra, in view of concerns being raised by the people of the Ga State.
He said the decision to revert to the Accra Sports Stadium was overwhelming and had no political underpinnings.
Even though the National Sports Authority (NSA) in the wake of the hockey stadium saga, insisted the AMA had no right to name or rename a sports facility, they did nothing to stop what happened to Ohene Djan.
It is not clear why there was no public outcry over the issue. Of course, some noises were made but perhaps, because Ohene Djan has been long dead and his memory almost lost, he did not get the same reaction and support.
Judging from the reactions from Dr Vanderpuije, it is obvious that he knows very little about Ghana sports and the heroes and heroines whose toils and hardwork, raised the flag of Ghana high on the international map.
Sadly, people who knew importance of Ohene Djan in the history of Ghana sports watched on as he was so posthumously embarrassed and disrespected.
Ohene Djan’s role
For the unschooled in the history of Ghana sports, and how Ohene Djan was so honoured, it was under his adminstration as the head of Ghana sports that Ghana chalked most of her outstanding successes at the international level in football, athletics and boxing.
It was Ohene Djan who realising the need to build local capacity created the opportunity for many retiring sportsmen and sportwomen to train abroad as coaches to improve upon the nation’s capacity in those areas and that decision was no doubt beneficial to Ghana sports.
Nation must be worth dying for
Mrs Okoh in an interview with the Graphic Sports, said the administrators and politicians of today must make it attractive for the youth and sportsmen and sportswomen of today and of the future to be more patriotic, desirous to die a little for Ghana.
That was exactly what happened in 2004 when the Ministry of Education and Sports under the late Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu, came up with the idea to honour the heroes.
The decision was not taken in vacuum, neither was it lorded over Ghanaians. Rather, a committee, chaired by Dr Emmanuel Owusu-Ansah and which included such recognisable sports writers as Ken Bediako and Joe Aggrey also with the involvement of all the sports associations, came up with the idea to rename all the sports facilities after the illustrous and daughters whose effort had raised the flag of Ghana high in international sports.
That idea, which also came with the setting up of the Sports Hall of Fame and the Heroes Gallery at the stadium, was given presidential approval in 2004.
Even though the Hall of Fame and Heroes Gallery are yet to be established, the decision to immortalise those who had contributed immensely to Ghana sports was implemented, and so the stadium in Accra was named after Ohene Djan, the hockey stadium then only a pitch, was named after Mrs Okoh, the tennis court was named after Frank Ofori, to date, Ghana’s highest ranked player in world tennis and the sports hall was named after D.G. Hathramani, the Indian who single-handedly raised most of Ghana’s top table tennis stars, all to reflect their achievements.
In the aftermath of the hockey pitch saga, it is obvious that the AMA does not have the right to name or rename sports facilities. If that is so, then it is time for him to also render an apology to Ohene Djan’s family and restore the honour.
This may not need a presidential intervention, but if that is not done, unfortunately, the underlying perception that the AMA’s decision on the stadium had tribal sentiments would have been strengthened and that also, the Mrs Okoh was spared the heartache because she was the designer of the national flag and not because of her role in the development and progress of Ghana hockey.
That will have a more devastating effect on Ghana sports which is already taking a nosedive so far as quality and dedicated performers are concerned.
For, as Mrs Okoh put it in the interview, “ We should not create the impression to the youth and other budding athletes that it is only when you venture into politics that you’re recognised as a hero. Dedicating one’s life to sports should be equally honourable.”
By Rosalind K. Amoh / Graphic Sports / Ghana
