‘Bempah’s comments over Mahama’s intervention embarrassing’

Veteran Sports Journalist Mohammed Amin Lamptey has taken a swipe at his colleague Owusu Bempah by describing him as a disgrace to the profession of Sports Journalism.

This follows comments made by Mr Owusu Bempah on an Accra based radio station Asempa FM concerning President Mahama"s intervention in the return of the Ayew brothers to the Black Stars. Mr Owusu Bempah is said to have criticised President John Mahama for intervening in the Ayew’s debacle with the FA describing his action as negotiating with “terrorists’.

President Mahama held a meeting with the two sons of Abedi Ayew Pele at the Flagstaff House on Tuesday and succeeded in convincing them to rescind their decision and return to the national team, a move which the former Ghana Television commentator believes the president set a bad precedent by going ahead of himself while describing the action as negotiating with “terrorists”.

Meanwhile, in a statement released by the former spokesperson of the Ghana Boxing Authority on Wednesday Mr Amin Lamptey is calling on Mr Owusu Bempah to retract his comments and apologise to the president.

"I felt very sad when I read the story and he has really embarrassed the journalism profession by taking this stand. He has exposed himself to the ridicule of the very audience he is supposed to educate, inform and entertain and that is disgraceful to this humble profession of ours.

Mr Bempah also quizzed that the president should have done same when Asamaoh Gyan called time on his International career. He asked? “When Gyan decided to quit.

Did we see any president making attempts to talk to him? Why is he not a Ghanaian? or is it because his surname is not Ayew?

Amin Lamptey who has been in journalism for close to two decades sees nothing wrong the president’s actions. "Why do we attack a person who makes an effort to solve an impasse between the Ghana football Association, the Black Stars management committee and key figures like the Ayew brothers. This development is so sad and a big indictment to the personality of a person like Owusu Bempah"

The GFAssociation never said they have failed in the process to get the Ayews back to the Black Stars as Owusu Bempa wants us to believe.

The GFA were very clear after their meetings with not only the Ayews but Essien and Kelvin, that they (Players) have all expressed misgivings regarding management –player relationship which is vital in any football team. The Ayews are Ghanaians and there is nothing wrong with the president meeting them to resolve an issue concerning Ghana.