By Kofi Akordor
IT is the tradition in many countries to honour exceptional achievers by naming national monuments, important landmarks and strategic installations after them. The idea has always been to immortalise the works and ideals of such great men and women and to inspire others to follow their trail, thereby stretching the frontiers of knowledge and human achievement.
In Ghana, we have not been very good at determining who a national hero or icon is and the achievements of some people and their contributions to national development have gone unnoticed, unrecognised, unrewarded, or a combination of some or all of these.
A few of the places that have been named after some of the great sons and daughters of this country do not have any spectacular attraction to the local or foreign visitor. A clear example is the Kwame Nkrumah Mausoleum situated right here in the heart of Accra, the capital city of this country, which prides itself as the first Black nation south of the Sahara to disentangle itself from colonial rule.
Until a few weeks ago, when the celebration of the first Founder’s Day was drawing near, the mausoleum was in shambles. We are told a Chinese construction firm came to the rescue to wipe the disgrace from our faces when foreigners who have heard so much about our First President decided to use the occasion to visit some historical monuments in the country, especially those that have something to do with the Founder of the Nation.
This type of ‘Shabo shabo’ repair works should not end with this year’s celebration. The mausoleum should be upgraded to give it international status and to give meaning to our declaration of Dr Kwame Nkrumah as the Founder of the Nation and whose name will continue to act like a magnet to bring in scholars, politicians and ordinary tourists to the country.
Apart from the neglect of Nkrumah’s mausoleum, the three major roundabouts on the Ring Road in Accra, named after J.B. Danquah, Kwame Nkrumah and Obetsebi-Lamptey, do not measure up to the stature of these great men. It is easy for any foreign visitor to be making enquiries about the Kwame Nkrumah Circle, while still driving or walking around the place.
As for Tetteh-Quarshie, it is a name many motorists in Accra dread to hear because it always reminds them of chaos, confusion and exasperation. Very soon, that place which is to edify the man who brought the first cocoa beans to Ghana will become another slum infested with traders and all the things that go with street hawking. But who will begrudge them, if men in authority did not find anything wrong in siting a shopping mall there?
Talking about neglect of national monuments brings to attention the deplorable sporting facilities named after Mr Charles Kumi Gyamfi and Azumah ‘Zoom Zoom’ Nelson, two of the greatest sportsmen ever produced by this country. C.K. Gyamfi made his mark in football just as Azumah Nelson made his in boxing.
Mr Gyamfi was a great footballer who became the first Black person to play in the German Bundesliga, when he played for Fortuna Düsseldorf in 1960. It was while playing in Germany that President Nkrumah invited him to take over the coaching of the Black Stars after Josef Ember deserted the team unceremoniously in 1961.
Mr Gyamfi proved his mettle and led the Black Stars to their first Africa Cup triumph in 1963. In 1965 and again in 1982, coach Gyamfi was on the bench of the Black Stars to their victory in the Africa Cup of Nations in Tunis and Tripoli respectively. It is on record that C.K. Gyamfi is the first African coach to have won the Africa Cup on three occasions. This record was only equalled five years ago by Mahmoud El-Goharri of Egypt.
The exploits of Azumah Nelson in the boxing ring is universally recognised and acknowledged. Apart from everything, Azumah Nelson holds the singular honour of being the longest reigning World Boxing Council (WBC) champion when he reigned at both the Featherweight and Super Featherweight divisions.
Apart from the honour they brought to themselves, these gentlemen made Ghana proud in their time. Therefore, when the Kufuor Administration decided to name the Kaneshie Sports Complex and the football academy at Winneba Sports College after Azumah Nelson and C.K. Gyamfi respectively, there were no voices of dissent.
In fact, it was generally agreed that for once, we were on the path to self-recovery. President Kufuor, himself being a sports fan and administrator, who chaired Kumasi Asante Kotoko’s board, had his fair share of the glory for that decision.
Unfortunately, the conditions at the now Azumah Nelson Sports Complex and the C.K Gyamfi Sports College at Winneba have debased the spirit behind the change of names. Any foreign boxing enthusiast who visits the country and wants to pay homage to Azumah Nelson by visiting the sports complex named after him will leave this country, saying a silent prayer for a country that had lost focus, that is, if it ever had one. Elsewhere, the complex would have reflected the true symbol of the name it bears. It will be a place where young men and women nursing the ambition to make their careers in boxing will make their second home.
The Azumah Nelson Sports Complex should not have been given that name and left to rot. No matter our poverty level, that complex should have been provided with a modern boxing gym to groom the up-and-coming ones, to rekindle more interest in the sport and to make it more possible for the country to raise more boxers with the pedigree of Azumah Nelson and those who will even do better.
The Azumah Nelson Sports Complex should have been well-developed to its fullest completion as envisaged by General I.K. Acheampong, whose idea it was to build such a complex for the youth of this country in the regions.
There should have been well-designed and developed facilities for all the sporting disciplines, hostels for the sportsmen and women who will use the facility and recreational amenities to make it an attraction for regular sporting activities.
Unfortunately, we have reduced the Azumah Nelson Complex to a den of thieves and drug addicts, a brothel for prostitutes and their pimps, a haven for mosquitoes, snakes and other unfriendly beasts and a free range for those who do not have access to any toilet facility.
The Azumah Nelson Sports Complex is no inspiration to any young man nursing the dream of becoming a boxer in future. It is not a place that evokes the awe and aura engendered by the man in his active days. It is an Azumah Nelson abandoned and left to rot.
The least said about the C.K. Sports College, the better. This is a place that is supposed to be the breeding ground for young talents. A place where coaches and trainers will go from time to time to improve upon their skills and knowledge and thereafter, impart them to their students elsewhere. A place the mere mention of which will evoke memories of the great exploits of the man C.K. Gyamfi and other great footballers produced by this country.
In fact, it should be a place that will serve as a great monument and a symbol of Ghana’s achievements in football on the continent and beyond. This is a place many great international footballers, coaches and others who are associated with the game of football in particular and other sporting disciplines in general will want to visit with great anticipation.
Like the Azumah Nelson Sports Complex, the C.K. Gyamfi Sports College exists only in name. A reflection of the little importance we attach to great things that could bring immeasurable rewards to this country. A reflection of a people who have no pride in their history. A people who have no place for worth and substance.
As they stand now, the two facilities have done more harm than good to the achievements and images of these great sportsmen. It is not too late to redeem ourselves by giving a fitting facelift to the Azumah Nelson Sports Complex and the C.K. Gyamfi Sports College in Winneba to reflect the true image of the two personalities and what they represent in the history of this country.
fokofi@yahoo.co.uk
kofiakordor.blogspot.com
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