Following his appointment as Sports Minister designate by President Nana Addo Dankwa-Akufo Addo, even before he appeared before the Parliamentary Verting Committee (PVC), Hon. Isaac Asiamah gave me cause to believe that the same old story will be told at the ministry – more talk, less action. But I gave him the benefit of the doubt and after seven months in office – nothing new.

Perhaps, Hon. Isaac Asiamah must not think that there are no crocodiles in the water because it is calm. There are many crocodiles in there just that they are quiet for now.

At the PVC sitting some months back before his confirmation, the highly loquacious Sports Minister gave clear indications of not coming into office to pursue the national interest, rather to settle his personal vendetta.

Do you recall how he attacked and vilified the outgoing Sports Minister Hon. Nii Lante Vanderpuye for not doing his best to develop sports in the country?

Do you also recall how he assured the whole Ghana of his office’s readiness to support the Black Stars to secure World Cup qualification to Russia even though we had failed to win our opening game against Uganda?

In the video below, Hon. Isaac Asiamah in an interview blames the previous government for not supporting the Black Stars to reach greater heights at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil and how his government is committed to championing the cause of the Black Stars to secure a ticket to Russia in 2018.

Hon. Isaac Asiamah talks about unfulfilled promises in Brazil culminating in the Black Stars player revolt at the World Cup in 2014. But did he not promise to honour all the demands of the players to position them well for impressive outings in the 2018 WC qualifiers?

So why the shambolic and shameless flight arrangements for the Black Stars when they were supposed to leave for Congo for the return leg of the 2018 WC qualifier?

Why was Gyan compelled to pay for a chartered flight to bring the team back to Ghana after their marvelous 5-1 win over Congo in Brazaville?

Insiders at the Black Stars have revealed that before the team left Ghana, initial plans from government was that the team goes with a commercial flight and return with a chartered flight.

That arrangement would have even changed for the team to travel with a chartered flight to Congo if Ghana had won the game against the Red Devils in Kumasi. That was the plan. But everything changed when Ghana drew and the ministry felt it was over for the Black Stars.

That is why Gyan opted to pay the difference of $10,000 to enable the team travel with a chartered flight from Ghana to Congo. Government denied but later had to succumb because the players raised questions about the travelling arrangements compelling Gyan to charter a flight for the side to return to Ghana.

So is this what Hon. Isaac Asiamah was promising Ghanaians?

Reports are that when the team got to Congo, the MOYS accountant told the players that 4 days per diem will be paid despite the standard practice of paying for 7 days regardless of how long you stay for the first week. The players raised concerns; GFA President had to intervene before the matter was resolved.

The per diem development raised concerns amongst the players and was strengthened by rumours during the game that government will not offer the chartered flight.

So the disappointed players had no option than to rely on Gyan to rescue them by arranging for a chartered flight even when the game was ongoing (he confirmed this on Hot FM on Wednesday morning?

The technical team did their best to get the results but strange things were happening behind the scenes.

Hon. Asiamah must be ashamed of the development making reference to his own words in the video above. He talks more than he delivers. The way he started lashing Hon. Nii Lante Vanderpuye, sent signals of the coming of a Messiah. But the opposite is the case now. Talking too much is not the work. Keep quiet and do the job. That is why he was made the Sports Minister.

I remember Isaac Asiamah saying in the video that Gyan was not supported in Brazil to succeed. So is this the support he comes to offer Gyan and the Black Stars to succeed?

This sad development was preceded by the shameful defeat of the Black Stars B to Burkina Faso in the CHAN at home at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium in Kumasi. Why did Isaac Asiamah not support the team? Where was the support he talked about?

The Black Queens have been virtually begging for what they have worked for – their accumulated winning bonus arrears for only God knows when. The Sports Ministry promised to pay them soon as Isaac Asiamah assumed office. As of now, the poor ladies have still not been paid. Why is Isaac Asiamah intentionally ignoring them and failing to support them to succeed?

I end with a famous Japanese quote: ‘Vision without action is a daydream. Action without vision is a nightmare.’