Hasten slowly, please

Things done in haste are rarely done right. That is why the Romans coined the term, FESTINA LENTE in Latin, which translates into HASTEN SLOWLY in English. Of course, there are certain issues which have to be settled in haste.

A perfect example is the speed with which Vice President John Mahama was sworn-in as President after the sad and unfortunate passing of Prof. John Evans Atta

Mills on that black Tuesday, exactly two weeks ago today.

But there are some things which are better done with a lot of circumspection and careful examination of all the facts and the circumstances surrounding them.

In these days of deep grief that the whole nation is going through and given the Ghanaian penchant in trying to outdo each other in such times, emotions might take the better of us and even worse, becloud our sense of judgement and fairness.

That, I’m afraid, is the feeling I had when some time last week I read from the newspapers that the Ghana Hockey Association (GHA) has decided to name the National Hockey Stadium after the late President. Of course, that would be in order, given the role he played as an active player, as a founding member of the Veterans Club and above all, as the President, under whose watch the magnificent edifice was put in place in record time to host the African championship in 2009.

However, the snag is, the venue had already been named after Mrs.

Theodosia Okoh. I know this because on June 2, 2003 as a Deputy Minister, it became my duty to inaugurate a committee set up by the Ministry of Youth and Sports , to, among other things, identify sporting facilities to be named after sporting heroes and heroines who had distinguished themselves either as active sportsmen and sportswomen or administrators.

The committee, which had Dr.E. Owusu-Ansah as its chairman, had Mr Frank Apeagyei, Mr. Ken Bediako, Oheneba Charles, Mrs. Elizabeth Quarmyne and Mr. Randy Abbey as members. Mr Kofi Aggrey was member/secretary. After months of deliberations, the committee presented its report, recommending facilities and the personalities after whom they should be named.

This was followed by further consultations with stakeholders after which those selected were announced. Among them were the Accra Stadium—Ohene Djan (Ghana’s first Director of Sports and to date the most outstanding person to occupy that position), Kumasi Stadium—Baba Yara (known in halcyon days as king of West African wingers), National Hockey Pitch—Theodosia Okoh, Cape Coast Stadium—Robert Mensah, Kaneshie Sports Complex— Prof. Azumah Nelson, Sports Hall of Accra Stadium—D.G . Hathiramani and the Winneba Sports College—C.K. Gyamfi.

Remember all the facilities under reference are state-owned and are held in trust for the people of Ghana by Government. It, therefore, came as a shock and a source of deep disappointment when following some ugly, ethnocentric noises the signage which depicted the stadium in Accra as Ohene Djan was replaced without any official explanation by the stadium authorities. Interestingly enough, long after that deed, sections of the media and individuals still refer to that facility as Ohene Djan Stadium.

Now it is the turn of the Theosodia Okoh facility to face a name change and all sorts of funny excuses are being cleverly dreamed up to justify that exercise. I daresay that it doesn’t make much sense to suggest that because a facility undergoes a facelift, no matter how massive, it loses its name and identity. To pretend that the national hockey stadium has no name is to be a little disingenuous. It is a sure way of courting controversy and ill-feeling, which are both unnecessary and totally unwarranted.

I’m sure that given his humble and peaceful nature which all Ghanaians, almost to a man, attest to so profusely, the late President would not have encouraged any such suggestion, let alone allow it to be become a topic for public discourse.

I’m sure that when he decided to give the game of hockey the edifice that adjoins the old Tema station, his primary concern was to give the sport a boost and the most up to date facility and not to attach his name to it.

Any effort to engulf the late Asomdweehene’s name in an avoidable praise-singing crusade must be tempered with a lot of circumspection. The Hockey Stadium has a name and it is the Theodosia Hockey Stadium and nobody should start any process to change it, not even for the late President’s sake. That’s why I caution those who are hell bent on that course of action to hasten slowly.