Michael Essien
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14th May, 2010
THE ESSIEN FATHER AND SON SAGA
One of Ghana’s most admired soccer stars, Michael Essien, has been in the news lately for non-soccer reasons. He seems to have an issue or two to settle with his biological father.
While the international midfield dynamo insists that he cares for the father, putting him on a regular maintenance, the father says the Chelsea (England) and Black Stars player does not.
Between father and son, it is one person’s word against the other. Looked at myopically, this is, strictly, a father-and-son affair which should be allowed to remain at that level.
The Ghanaian Times does not think that this position is wholly acceptable. We insist that the younger Essien is a national asset and that anything that has the potential to hurt his reputation or even his physical person, should be the concern of all Ghanaians; hence, our comment.
Even without the postulations of Sigmund Freud or any such theories about blood ties and their inter-relationship with matters of the heart, it is easily noticeable, especially in large families with siblings of mixed gender, that boys have a strong attraction towards their mothers.
Though the vice versa is not always as strong, there is some sort of bond that pulls girls towards their fathers.
So Essien’s closeness to the mother is understandable, though it should not be to the neglect of the father. We are glad that he himself has come out to say that this is not the case.
Michael Essien is a young man and no matter what his fortunes are today in terms of material wealth, he needs the good counsel of friends and relations.
The one thing that goes for him is that he is humble.
On the strength of this character, the Times wishes to appeal to the Ghana Football Authority, the President and others, such as pastors of his church in Ghana and the UK to be pro-active in getting good counsel to the young star.
No matter what any father does to any child, the Ghanaian traditional system forbids the child to scorn him or deny him upkeep.
If it is true that the father did look after him; that it was on the father’s shoulders that young Michael sat to watch his first football match at Agona Swedru, then by Ghanaian tradition, this is not the father that should be ignored or treated with scorn no matter what anybody, including close relations, may say about him.
The focus of this opinion piece is an appeal.
We call on anybody who has the ears of Michael to talk to the young man.
The Times is not about to peddle superstition, but as Africans we have grown to believe – nay, to know – that pain in the heart of any one parent is a curse to the child who caused it, though the parent may not wish it.
In short, we are appealing to the Ghanaian society to see the Essien problem as a national problem. He needs to be counselled.
The mother and all close relations should make conscious effort to heal the relationship between father and son.
We shall dare to go on because we think that Michael Essien must be saved for Ghana.
Those whom he listens to should also try to impress on the young man that when women who are desperately in love, especially with wealthy iconic superstars, get disappointed because the relationship did not end at the altar, they resort to the worst forms of attack.
No-one can dictate which lady Michael should marry: it is an affair of the heart; but we counsel that the break-ups of these casual relationships should be handled in a way that does not cause bitterness and a craving for revenge.
The young footballer is recuperating from an injury that has laid him off for an unbearably long time. He needs all the peace of mind he can get to put himself in shape – and quickly too – so as to get on with his life on the football field.
Ghana needs Michael Essien and we need him totally fit in body and mind – both for Chelsea and for the Black Stars.
While the international midfield dynamo insists that he cares for the father, putting him on a regular maintenance, the father says the Chelsea (England) and Black Stars player does not.
Between father and son, it is one person’s word against the other. Looked at myopically, this is, strictly, a father-and-son affair which should be allowed to remain at that level.
The Ghanaian Times does not think that this position is wholly acceptable. We insist that the younger Essien is a national asset and that anything that has the potential to hurt his reputation or even his physical person, should be the concern of all Ghanaians; hence, our comment.
Even without the postulations of Sigmund Freud or any such theories about blood ties and their inter-relationship with matters of the heart, it is easily noticeable, especially in large families with siblings of mixed gender, that boys have a strong attraction towards their mothers.
Though the vice versa is not always as strong, there is some sort of bond that pulls girls towards their fathers.
So Essien’s closeness to the mother is understandable, though it should not be to the neglect of the father. We are glad that he himself has come out to say that this is not the case.
Michael Essien is a young man and no matter what his fortunes are today in terms of material wealth, he needs the good counsel of friends and relations.
The one thing that goes for him is that he is humble.
On the strength of this character, the Times wishes to appeal to the Ghana Football Authority, the President and others, such as pastors of his church in Ghana and the UK to be pro-active in getting good counsel to the young star.
No matter what any father does to any child, the Ghanaian traditional system forbids the child to scorn him or deny him upkeep.
If it is true that the father did look after him; that it was on the father’s shoulders that young Michael sat to watch his first football match at Agona Swedru, then by Ghanaian tradition, this is not the father that should be ignored or treated with scorn no matter what anybody, including close relations, may say about him.
The focus of this opinion piece is an appeal.
We call on anybody who has the ears of Michael to talk to the young man.
The Times is not about to peddle superstition, but as Africans we have grown to believe – nay, to know – that pain in the heart of any one parent is a curse to the child who caused it, though the parent may not wish it.
In short, we are appealing to the Ghanaian society to see the Essien problem as a national problem. He needs to be counselled.
The mother and all close relations should make conscious effort to heal the relationship between father and son.
We shall dare to go on because we think that Michael Essien must be saved for Ghana.
Those whom he listens to should also try to impress on the young man that when women who are desperately in love, especially with wealthy iconic superstars, get disappointed because the relationship did not end at the altar, they resort to the worst forms of attack.
No-one can dictate which lady Michael should marry: it is an affair of the heart; but we counsel that the break-ups of these casual relationships should be handled in a way that does not cause bitterness and a craving for revenge.
The young footballer is recuperating from an injury that has laid him off for an unbearably long time. He needs all the peace of mind he can get to put himself in shape – and quickly too – so as to get on with his life on the football field.
Ghana needs Michael Essien and we need him totally fit in body and mind – both for Chelsea and for the Black Stars.
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