While there was a successful engagement with the press in Parliament on Monday morning where the Speaker of Parliament, Rt Hon Alban S.K Bagbin interacted with the newly elected executives of the Parliamentary Press Corps, there seem to be a spin on a particular statement he made about the ex Ghana Football Association (GFA) President, Kwesi Nyantakyi.
It’s amusing to observe that, the sum-up of the successful interaction, which bothered on the wellbeing of the pressmen and the development of their skills, among others, were buried in a complex scheme to project a mere example he made in reference to the predicaments of the former GFA boss who has been suspended from football administration.
The Speaker alluded that the forced exit of Mr. Nyantakyi from local and international football administration illuminated the price there was to pay for corruption that goes beyond the person perpetuating it and sometimes affects a whole nation or even the global community as was in the case of Mr. Nyantakyi.
In this world, people are supposed to be punished for what they do and not what others do, as the Good Book says in Ezekiel 18:20: “The person who sins will die. The son will not bear the punishment for the father’s iniquity, nor will the father bear the punishment for the son’s iniquity; the righteousness of the righteous will be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked will be upon himself”, but the structure of the global community, deepened by geopolitics and the complexity of power play has made communities pay for the sins of their leaders.
We have seen what is playing out in Ukraine and its effects on ordinary Russian citizens, some of whom have openly spoken and protested the unfolding war. They may be against the war, but the effects of the sanctions placed on their country will definitely affect their social and economic well-being in many years to come.
In Ghana, the mismanagement of the economy by a few individuals in privileged positions have brought us national shame. Not only in this administration if we are not pretending.
The price of the mistakes or recklessness of leadership could indeed have a devastating effect on even the most vulnerable and innocent individuals in their communities and that is why the conduct of leaders must at all times be under critical public scrutiny.
There is no doubt that Mr. Nyantakyi was deemed a key resource person in the administration of global football and his conduct had an effect on the beautiful game.
Let’s step beyond that, and let’s examine the forum at which the statement was made, and that would help us expose the unfortunate misinterpretations contained in some of the media reports that have flooded the media space since Monday afternoon when the Speaker had the rather well-intended interaction with the Press Corps he holds so dearly.
The Speaker was speaking to the press, whom he charged to hold leaders accountable and further admonished leaders in privileged positions to look beyond themselves when they make decisions and rather consider the effect their decisions could have on their immediate communities or the global community.
In all modesty, the conduct and life’s work of the Speaker, spanning decades in high state positions, doesn’t merit such dubious spins on his well-intended public statements.
The Speaker will continue to support efforts to fight corruption and applaud excellence when necessary.
Source: Peter Bamfo/Speaker’s Office.
