A grateful Theodosia Oko has declared her intention to kiss the president’s legs in appreciation of his order to halt attempts by AMA boss to rename the Theodosia Okoh Hockey Stadium after the late President Atta Mills.
It was a case of turning mourning into dancing as Theodosia, a deeply respected and decorated national hero, heard the news of the president’s order.
The order also summoned the under sieged AMA boss, Alfred Oko Vanderpuye to the presidency. Oko Vanderpuye has been under a torrent of nationwide criticism as people descended on him on facebook and other social media outlets on Thursday.
A former Minister of Sports, O.B Amoah, insisted that it was not within Mr Vanderpuye's power to change the name of a Hockey Stadium without consulting the presidency.
A former deputy Minister of Sports Joe Aggrey explained that the decision to name the hockey facility after Mrs Okoh was taken in 2004 after careful deliberations and consultations by a competent group of people who formed a committee set up by the then government. It also got cabinet approval, he revealed.
The Sports Writers Association of Ghana also appealed to President John Mahama to get the Accra Metropolitan Assembly to reverse its decision to re-name the National Hockey Pitch after late President John Evans Atta Mills.
Public disgust appears to have culminated in a statement from the presidency directing a reversal of Oko Vanderpuye’s decision.
This announcement was relayed to the 91-year old Theodosia on Joy FM's Newsnight. The elated nonagenarian gratefully remarked: “I would have come and kissed the president’s legs”.
But she says it is only if she could walk.
Mrs Oko said she felt privileged by the president’s decision and expressed her gratitude to Ghanaians for recognizing her contribution to this nation.
