AFCON vrs EBOLA

... Article by Ato Kwamena 

 Oh, I’ve heard some funny things in my time! Once in high school I remember there was a question in a science exam that inquired, ‘What is the function of the skull?’ Lo and behold, the answer booklet of that same girl who sat in the corner, read ‘It prevents brain drain.’ the overall best answer that put a smile on everybody’s face including our dear teacher. Indeed without the skull the brain will pour out so literally, she was right.

So here I was, glued to my TV at 6:30pm; I never miss the news in Akan…well occasionally. I saw ‘Ghana’ in the person of Sports Minister Mahama Ayariga telling Joy News "Ghana is ready to host the AFCON 2015." I never said I was! ---I’m guessing that’s how Ghana retorted. After all we are going through in the hands of Cholera, you want to add, aloe vera concoction to ORS?

This disease has claimed over 4,500 lives across the world with Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia worst affected and all we can think about is inviting potential carriers into our country in the name of what, African unity or world peace? What ever happened to trying to contain the virus and gradually eradicating it?

Phew! What a relief?

The president of Ghana has spoken and he said, “As president, I don’t want to see Ebola spread to my country and so if Morocco expresses concern that that is one of the concerns for which they want a postponement, we are going to look at that carefully before we host AFCON or not…” What? ‘We are going to look at that…!’ Ok…I’m not relieved!

  Seriously, what is there to consider? Prize money, glory or what? The country is still crawling its way to development and some meagre currency can never atone for the damage an epidemic like ebola will do to Ghana should we host AFCON. We will quickly drift from bottomless chasm to the bottom of a bottomless chasm.

  President John Mahama, I believe you are the skull and I admire your covering but please don’t allow some plastic hammer even trace out the faintest crack on you lest we, the brains, drain like spilled beans. We are the citizens and any decision you take with the cabinet if is not in our favour, we will protest! That sayeth moi.