News
In the hot seat with Minister Adams
Coming events are said to cast their shadows before them.
This age-long axiom is a suggestion of some initial effects indicating the nature of an event to be felt before it happens.
Some of these shadows can be pictured looking at the posture of the Minister of Sports and Recreation (MoRS), Mr Kofi Iddie Adams, less than a month in office.
Although he appear new to the system, his ideas or ways he intend to tackle issues in the sector could be one that could make or unmake him.
One major observation is his doggedness to strengthen the National Sports Authority (NSA), the supposed biggest agency under the Ministry but appears often overshadowed when it comes to football.
Ahead of a much sought after engagement with the leadership of the FA, Minister Adams has hinted of a directive to process all national teams’ events through the NSA.
That would obviously mark a shift from the previous arrangement where the FA was granted direct access to the Ministry and the NSA is only involved regarding the preparation of grounds for matches.
As the technical wing of the Sports Ministry, one cannot fault Minister Adams and as he explained in an interview in the course of the week, “it is the law at work, I am not saying that.”
What this mean is that the NSA would be handed responsibilities way beyond those that they have performed over the years. This will surely bring to the fore their actual technical capabilities.
The announcement of the cancelation of first class travel arrangement for the various national teams, especially the Black Stars would be another move which implementation would be closely monitored.
Again, if I heard right, Minister Adams also called for a review of the selection of centres to host Ghana Premier League (GPL) matches in a bid to curb hooliganism in the game.
In his view, if only eight centres met the criteria, then matches should be played only on those venues and clubs be compelled to choose some of these venues as home grounds.
That is another tough measure which implementation could be problematic because at the lower divisions, there are also cases of hooliganism but centres are few.
Minister Adams is also concerned about having value for money in the provision of infrastructure for sports events.
That will lead to an initiative where MoSR will issue licenses’ to those contracted to provide such services.
Considering the number of astro turf pitches across the country with a chunk of them not meeting the required standard to host GPL matches, Minister Adams call falls in the right place.
Some of these astro turfs constructed with the tax payers’ money are just pleasing to the eye but cannot serve the purpose for its construction.
In issuing those licenses, turfs at the Ghanaman Soccer Centre of Excellence at Prampram, at the defunct Gomoa Fetteh Feyenoord and the WAFA pitch at Sogakope should be the yardstick.
Other issues on initiatives to get the corporate sector involved in sports, ridding it of corruption, running it like business, introducing some of the defunct events that served as hunting grounds for talents for the various sports discipline are welcoming.
All of these suggest that there are interesting times ahead in the sports sector which Minister Adams must be firm and fair in implementing them.
For the true lovers of sports development and promotion and not their selfish interest, they must remember Minister Adams in prayers or whichever religion they practice for wisdom and guidance.
As a Christian himself, Minister Adams should continually pray from Psalm 91:5-8 which reads “You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, Nor of the arrow that flies by day, Nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness, Nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday. A thousand may fall at your side, And ten thousand at your right hand; But it shall not come near you.”
On that note, I welcome Minister Adams to the hot seat as Sports and Recreation Minister.
By Andrew Nortey
President John Dramani Mahama has visited the Akosombo Dam to assess the impact of a fire incident at a substation operated by the Ghana Grid Company.
The fire is reported to have caused the loss of more than 1,000 megawatts from the national power grid, affecting electricity supply in parts of the country.
During the visit, he inspected ongoing restoration works and received briefings from engineers on efforts to restore power. He commended them for what he described as a swift and professional response to the situation.
According to him, the government remains committed to restoring stable electricity supply as quickly as possible.
He added that steps are also being taken to strengthen the resilience of Ghana’s energy infrastructure to prevent similar incidents in the future.
The Ghana Grid Company has not yet provided a detailed timeline for full restoration, but work is ongoing to bring affected systems back on stream.
By: Jacob Aggrey
Ghana’s Finance Minister, Cassiel Ato Forson, says he and his deputy have publicly filed their annual tax returns to demonstrate leadership and encourage compliance among citizens.
In a facebook post, he explained that the move was meant to show that public officials must lead by example when it comes to fulfilling civic duties.
“Leadership must be demonstrated, not declared,” he said.
He commended Ghanaian taxpayers for their continued contribution to national development, noting that tax compliance plays a key role in sustaining government activities.
According to him, paying taxes is both a legal and moral responsibility. He stressed that all citizens, including public officials, professionals, and businesses, are equal before the law and must meet their tax obligations.
He added that tax revenue is essential for funding key sectors such as education, healthcare, infrastructure, and security.
The minister praised the Ghana Revenue Authority for its work, especially during the ongoing Tax and Good Governance Month in April. He said the initiative helps to educate the public and promote voluntary compliance.
He urged the authority to intensify public education and continue reforms aimed at simplifying tax processes, reducing compliance costs, and improving transparency.
He further encouraged individuals and businesses that are yet to file their returns to do so promptly, adding that support systems and digital platforms are available to assist them.
He said building a strong tax culture would strengthen the country’s economy, improve accountability, and promote fairness in society.
By: Jacob Aggrey
