Blame Sports Minister for Akufo-Addo's comment on Dzamefe Commission - Al-Smith

Sports Minister, Isaac Asimah

Sports journalist, Gary Al-Smith says Sports Minister , Isaac Asiamah should be blamed for President Akufo-Addo’s comments on the white paper issued by the commission of enquiry into the 2014 World Cup debacle.

The President in responding to a question about how his government intends to implement the recommendations by the Dzamefe Commission stated categorically that he has forgotten about the report and that it’s not one of the major worries of his government.

“Am I interested in the 2014 White Paper? On these matters, the truth is usually the best answer. To be honest, I’ve forgotten about the 2014 White Paper. But I have no doubt that my Minister of Sports is fully up to it and will advise in due course what should be the reaction of me and the government to it. But it has not been something that has been very much on my radar,” he said.

The response by the President has generated shock and disappointment among some Ghanaians, particularly because the 2014 Brazil fiasco was one of the major issues on which the NPP campaigned in the build-up to the 2016 Elections.

But the Joy News reporter has jumped to the defense of the President arguing that the workload on the President makes it difficult for him to track issues like recommendations of the Dzamefe Commission.
According to Gary, the Sports Minister and his Chief Director should be held responsible for not briefing the President about the Commission’s report after one year in office.

“If the President says he has forgotten about the Dzamefe Commission report, to be fair the report was done in 2014/2015 and white paper came out around that time. If I am the President of Ghana, I don’t wake up thinking about Dzamefe Commission every day. That is why I have a minister and chief directors, those peoples are the ones to tell me that this is what I want to do. If I’m the President of Ghana the first thing I think about is probably healthcare, One-district-One-factory. I personally think that the minister should be given the blame if for one year you have been in office and you’ve been able to push this through and raise it with the President then it’s you (Minister) who are to be blamed”, Gary said.

The question regarding the Dzamefe Commission was asked by controversial Sports Presenter Patrick Osei Agyeman, widely known as Countryman Songo.