Oh No, Don�t Sack Accra Mayor Because Of Me � pleads Theodosia Okoh

A grateful Madam Theodosia Okoh says Accra Metro Chief Executive, Alfred Okoe Vanderpuiye must not be sacked from office. Calls have been mounting for the removal of the mayor following the controversial attempt last week by the Accra Metropolitan Assembly to rename the Theodosia Okoh Hockey Pitch after late President John Atta Mills. But Madam Okoh disagrees with the calls for the Mayor�s dismissal and, in a perfect replay of the biblical accounts of Jesus and Stephen�s pleas for forgiveness for their adversaries [Luke 23:34 and Acts 7:60 respectively], said there is no need to punish him. President Mahama while in Cape Coast on Sunday and on behalf of the entire nation apologised to the celebrated 91-year-old national hero for any emotional trauma she might have suffered as a result of the �sad mistake� in renaming the national facility. On Monday, Madam Okoh in a brief interview with Radio Gold said she was �very happy� for the apology offered her by President Mahama, and expressed surprise that anybody would attempt to rewrite her history, saying she thought the perpetrators were some strangers who had just found themselves in Ghana. There are those who think that the Metropolitan Chief Executive of Accra who led the assembly to do the renaming after President Mills should be fired, what is your reaction to that? Asked programme host Alhassan Suhuyini. �I thought they were not living in Ghana, may be they are just people who have come to the country because those who were here knew everything about sports and who is doing what,� she responded. Do you think the president should dismiss the Metropolitan Chief Executive? �Why, we all make mistakes, it may be (as) you call it a mistake so he has to be punished but it doesn�t matter. You would do the same thing if you were in his stead; because it will mean a part of your authority gone from you�. So you don�t think the president should dismiss him? �Oh no, not because of me or because of the hockey pitch�. Mrs Okoh said she had not seen the pitch for a while now but recalls that the last time she was there the pitch looked ok. She also disclosed that she had decided not to say anything or do anything about the name change but to leave it with those who are concerned. And for getting the appropriate response, she thanked everybody. She expressed hope that one day when leaves the scene and something goes wrong, there would be people to help put it right. �I wish you do your work well so that people too will say the same thing about you. Thank you,� were her parting words for her host as he wished her well.