It was in the midst of Angola 2010 when all attention was focused on the 27th Africa Cup of Nations football tournament that Ghana’s President Atta Mills made some dramatic ministerial changes that affected the Ministry of Sports. The nation was so engrossed in the unexpected exploits of the makeshift Black Stars team that the ministerial changes became a secondary matter in the scheme of things.

In any case, the sports sector has seen so many changes in the last decade that it was no longer considered news if a new face suddenly popped up to head the ministry.

Now that the Africa Cup is over and the Black Stars are back in town led by an attractive middle aged lady, receiving all the applause for their spirited performance that won them silver, the sporting fraternity is coming to the realization that Ghana has, for the first time, a woman sports minister.

The new minister is Pamela Akua Sena Dansua, an accomplished journalist who had been Minister of Women and Children affairs since February 13 2009. She is the 9th minister to hold the sports folio since 2001. Her predecessors were Mallam Issah, the late Osei Kwaku, Papa Owusu Ankomah, the late Kwadwo Baah Wiredu, Yaw Osafo Maafo, Prof John Fobih, Alhaji Muntaka Mubarak and Alhaji Rashid Pelpuo. Quite a long list if you ask me.

Sports analysts have tried their best to unravel the mystery surrounding the sports ministry portfolio that has resulted in so many changes within a decade especially when a couple of the ministers were actually sacked for financial misconduct.

There is a school of thought that believes that a change in gender would do the trick but a large number of sports critics think this is not funny. The former president of the Sports Writers Association of Ghana (SWAG) Ebo Quansah for example thinks there are so many cantankerous characters within the sports administration that his colleague female journalist would find it hard to cope. In his weekly column in the privately owned tabloid The Daily Guide, the former SWAG president, seemingly with a tongue in cheek advised Akua Dansua to plead with President Mills to send her back to the Women’s ministry.Ebo is convinced the load at the sports ministry is way beyond the capacity of that lively lady.

Akua however thinks otherwise. She believes she has the professional competence to make it. Even though she was shocked to receive the news about the change because she thought she had set a cracking pace at her old ministry gearing up to put a lot of her programmes and policies into action, she is confident she has the “political experience, independence of mind and the neutrality needed in a multi-faceted environment such as the Ministry of Sports to turn the place around.”

I have known Akua Dansua for nearly three decades since my bosom friend the late versatile journalist Yaw Boakye Ofori Atta, then Editor of Ghana’s most popular weekly, The Mirror, detected the talents of Akua and became her mentor. When Yaw Boakye was later transferred to another state owned weekly The Spectator, she took Akua along where the vibrant lady with her trademark short hair made her mark and later veered into party politics. She was District Chief Executive for Kpando from 1997 to 2001 when she became Member of Parliament for North Dayi in the Volta Region. She is currently serving a third term in Parliament.

Akua Dansua refuses to accept suggestions that her new appointment might be a trap for self destruction judging from the experience of some others before her. She told Daily Graphic columnist Kofi Akordor she was convinced her choice as the first female Minister in charge of Sports is an affirmation of confidence in the ability of women by President Mills generally and in her personal qualities. You can trust Akua’s confidence

This reminds me of the late Police Officer Imoru Lafia when he was appointed Ghana’s Director of Sports in the late sixties. Asked whether he was aware he was going to occupy a hot seat. He replied “it depends on how you sit on it”.

Akua Dansua would have to prove to the skeptics that she is capable of succeeding where even the angels’ fear to tread. I can envisage exciting times ahead on the sporting front.

Cheers everybody and keep loving sports.

FROM MY ARCHIVES

Feb 9 2005: The Black Stars of Ghana lose 2-1 to Ajax Amsterdam in a friendly match in Holland. Ajax scored first and John Paintsil replied for Ghana but a quickly taken free –kick won the day for Ajax.

Ghana line-up: George Owu/ Sammy Adjei, Emmanuel Pupae, John Mensah/Emmanuel Osei,John Paintsil, Anthony Obodai,Godwin Attram, Stephen Appiah, Sulley Muntari, Kofi Amponsah, Asamoah Gyan,Baffour Gyan, Godwin Attram /Kwadwo Poku, Hans Adu Sarpei, Mathew Amoah, John Nyarko,Derick Boateng.