Dr Kwame Baah Nuako recounts Mallam Issah’s attempted release of Ghanaians in Sudanese jail

19 years after his Elevation to the high office of Sports Minister of Ghana, and his subsequent incarceration into Prison for the loss of 46,000 US Dollars in his travelling bag, Sports Journalist, and General Manager, Sustainability and Stakeholder Relations at the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC). Responsible for the Social Performance, Local Content and Corporate Affairs functions of GNPC Dr Kwame Baah Nuako has made startling revelations about how the then Sports Minister Mallam Issah audaciously attempted to free Ghanaian prisoners jailed in Sudan.

Mallam Issah who was later jailed for the loss of the Black Stars World Cup qualifiers winning bonus against Sudan in 2001.

Speaking on the issue for the first time in 19 years, Kwame Baah Nuako who was one of the Journalists accompanying the team said the attempt by the Minister at the time was ‘surprising and audacious’.

Dr Baah Nuako said himself and Ackah Anthony were the only journalists with the team, had received a call from the Mallam Issah of his intention to release Ghanaian prisoners in Omdurman, and needed the media to witness the events in the Kober Prisons in North Khartoum.

“The Minister asked us to accompany him to the Kober prisons to get some Ghanaian released, we were a bit surprised by the action of the minister” ‘whose duty at the time was to ensure the Black Stars won and qualified for the 2002 FIFA world cup in Japan/Korea’.

Dr Baah Nuako, who was the guest host of the Ultimate Sports Show on Asempa FM, expressed that by the actions of the Minister at the time, he formed the opinion he [Mallam Issah] was not going to last at the Sports Ministry.

“At the time, the Sudanese government had done their Ministerial reshuffle when Ghana traveled to play their National team, with a new Interior minister, so officers were sent to inform him of the arrival of the Ghanaian sports Minister”

“The Sudanese minister drove for more than 30km to the prison yard to meet Mallam Issah, and to address his concerns, after several minutes of deliberations, the Sudanese authorities concluded that they can only release the ‘prisoners’ on condition that they are deported back to Ghana, but to our surprise, they [‘Prisoners’] refused to be deported, and rather opted to serve their sentences”, Dr Baah Nuako Recounted.

Mallam Issah was appointed Ministerof Youth and Sports in 2001 after President John Kufour opted to have an all inclusion Government with the PNC Member of Parliament.

But his stint with the Ministry was shortlived when his briefcase containing the $46,000 winning bonus of the team got missing.
Mallam Issah was subsequently jailed by an Accra High court for stealing.

By Seidu Adamu/442gh