By: Sheikh Tophic Sienu @desheikh1 on twitter
It's been days, culminating into weeks since the Black Stars and government winning bonus row started.
I have read, listened and watched many people sharing their thoughts on the issue.
Well, like I wrote sometime ago, I still think the players deserve their bonuses and they must be paid.
I find it so hard to understand when we keep singing this patriotic tune whenever it comes to the Black Stars bonuses. Where was the nation when these players were playing on empty stomachs? The players and the people we claim influence them to demand high bonuses invest till we feel they are capable of representing the nation. Try "rearing" from the formative years and see if this patriotic tune will sound soothing to your ears.
I would have loved if they even play for nothing but lets not make them look like they are some insensitive beings.
Belgium and the likes are seriously investing serious cash (state cash) into their football over $300m. So the Hazards, Bentekes, De Bruynes, Companys are churned out and that is where you can demand patriotism from those players. The same people we claim are hawks within the system are the same who invest their little cash to give those players the opportunity to make a livelihood so the players are loyal to those football people. Let government start giving the kids the opportunity from the lower level and see what will happen.
Readers, between Yaw Ampofo Ankrah and the state , who do you think the Ghana Beach Soccer players will be loyal to? Will they be loyal to Yaw Ampofo Ankrah or the government? The answer is obvious because they know who is trying to give them a worthy life.
I don't believe its money alone but slaying the boys for being unpatriotic is very harsh.
Simple truth is, as a nation we have just not handled this bonus thing well. Fact is, we were not told when the money was raised to 10,000. So my thinking is, why can't they handle it that same they did rather than resorting to this populist circus.
Truth is footballers and their money or whatever motivation will always be ridiculous.
Take the players of GBSA/Yaw Ampofo Ankrah scenario into consideration and they will be loyal to the astute journalist. Point is, they see Yaw Ampofo Ankrah struggling to get them funds while they continue to get failed promises from the state. So tomorrow will it be fair to demand patriotism from such struggling young men?
Boxers are complaining, athletics and all those. Have we asked ourselves why they naturalise for other countries? Do you remember Ignatius Gaizer, and Margaret Simpson? They will surely naturalise for other countries because Ghana is the only country that wants to reap what we did not sow.
If it was for patriotism alone they will keep doing whatever they do for the nation.
Fair point we can look at management, but my point is the state has not done much to always reduce this discussion to patriotism. Anytime bonus issues come up, the state quickly run to the media and some of the media houses share with them to paint a dark picture of our players.
Who do we call to represent the Black Stars? We always say its a privilege but don't we call the best at a given time? Meaning only the best play not the privileged ones. If you want the best , pay for the best.
Now how do you pay for the best?
1. Don't nurture them and allow them to be nurtured by private individuals with loans and they will be loyal to them and demand more from you in the future or ...
2. See to their nurturing and they won't have any moral right to demand anything from you.
Look Wayne Rooney, Eden Hazard, Rio Ferdinand, Mario Gotzen, Mesut Ozil etc will all remain loyal to their countries because their countries made them who they are. They did not have to struggle to buy their own boots and play under private football teams and academies. So they will surely be loyal and patriotic when the nation needs them.
I tried 'managing' a player and I swear it was not easy. So tomorrow he becomes a quality player and you want his services with this discussion on the table? What do you think I will tell my player? Go for it big time because I need to recoup my investment.
If the nation wants quality players to be patriotic, let the powers that be start investing in the game now. Build national academies like Senegal, Namibia, Mali, China, Japan and Belgium, and when players come from those academies, they will be patriotic.
In reading the 2013 State of the Nation Address, President Mahama promised to build academies in each district of the country. Where are they? We can't just fold our arms and see people struggle to succeed and then later turn to them to work for free or to make them feel insensitive? NO, ... it doesn't work like that. Let's do the right thing before making the right demands.
That is what we should be doing.
A hungry man does not work like that. Give him food today and he will work for you tomorrow.
Imagine going to Ghana Broadcasting Corporation or Ghana Cocobod or Volta River Authority or Electricity Company of Ghana and being told to work free as a patriotic duty? Will you do it?
Give me what I'm due and I will deliver BUT it should not be a hostage/hijack situation.
So I find it amazing when we keep screaming patriotism, patriotism on the neck of the players. Where is Akaminko? Where is Isaac Vorsa?
But we have not handled it well, like I said earlier when we decided to raise the bonus to $10,000 nobody asked us so why cant we do same?
My major challenge is why we want to resort to this populist agenda and make the players look unpatriotic and inhuman. People in authority should handle it well.
That's the problem. I tell you this thing could have been handled without no discussion in the public domain. But some elements feel that's the best thing.
Caught in the cross fire but they may not appreciate that. That's it. So they will also show us where power lies.
It's natural, where there is father (or mother) the child decides what is best for him.
We can decide not to invite all the players again but trust me the next batch after finding their feet will do same. We should stop blaming the players.
Government invests from the basics through whatever means and take the pressure off individuals, ... and they (the individuals) won't also use the players to recoup their investments (which is fair to me).
You remember Raheem Sterling's agent and the Liverpool saga?
Credit: Adam Adjei (Kasapa FM)