The outgoing Minister for Youth and Sports Mahama Ayariga has dismissed suggestions that his reassignment to the Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation is a punishment for “attacking” the media.
President John Dramani Mahama on Saturday, reassigned the Minister for Sports, Mahama Ayariga just some 9 months after moving to that ministry.
[contextly_sidebar id=”c3A5OJrJPS9S0rNuJLvyOJXNMWNxqG14″]His reassignment came days after describing questions from some Ghanaian journalists as “useless,” a comment which angered many of the journalists.
This was after the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) tournament in Equatorial Guinea in February.
Some sports analysts have attributed his reassignment to the Minister’s “fight” with the media.
Speaking to Citi News, however the Minister insisted that his reassignment was not as a result of “disagreements he had with some journalists few weeks ago.”
“… So I will be surprised to hear that anybody treats it as a punishment or anything of that sort,” Ayariga said.
He remarked that he sees the reassignment as a promotion and an opportunity.
“I am happy to be given the opportunity and the challenge to be responsible for such a sector…I am happy to serve the President in any capacity that he deems fit and appropriate.The President can reassign Ministers to any Ministry and that should not be read to mean anything.”
Ayariga’s relationship with media
Ayariga’s relationship with the media became frosty after some journalists requested that he provides details on the actual amount spent on the AFCON budget.
He earlier asked those journalists to asking him “useless questions” on the AFCON budget.
He angrily said on Adom FM that instead of journalists asking questions about the development of sports in Ghana, “sadly you are asking me about…the money that was spent on food.”
Ayariga remarked that reporters were using “valuable time to discuss useless matters”
“I think that this is very regrettable and it will dampen the spirit of the boys who were trying to kill themselves only to come back and even the food that they ate, they will hear on radio that their minister is [answering questions] about the food that they ate. It’s sad,” the Sports Minister fumed.
Ayariga has since come under intense criticism but it is unclear whether the President took the decision based on the recent development.
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By: Marian Efe Ansah/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @EfeAnsah