Editorial: Shouldn't the Minister Go?

The young Minister of Sports, Alhaji Muntaka Mubarak has got himself into something of a pickle.

It is eerily reminiscent of another Minister of Sports in the Kufuor Administration, Alhaji Issa, who in his first few months in office got into a similar pickle and ended up in jail.

At the time of doing this editorial last weekend, the Mubarak case was the talk of town and speculations were rife as to whether he would be resigning voluntarily or be given the boot by the president.

The accusations and his responses to them have been made public and no doubt different judgements are being made.

President Mills has given a pledge to run a blemish-free administration; this looks like a test case. Sleaze has a way of creeping into government affairs which if not cauterized early can then lead to major infractions.

We are not calling for Alhaji Mubarak's head, but just reminding the President that Ghanaians are watching and the minister himself could save the president, himself and the rest of us this creeping sleaze if he quit honourably.

Resignation would not be an admission of guilt but an expression of strong moral character...We are all witness to the Anane case, when this Minister in the Kufuor Administration so allowed sleaze to engulf him that even when he got off on a technicality months later, it was bereft of respect, dignity and gravitas. The Kufuor Administration suffered gravely from that case.

There is something we call learning from history...