Re: Rawlings Locked Up in Congo

A Daily Guide Newspaper report in its Monday August 20, 2007 edition No.2107, has sought to feed the public with a fabricated story full of half truths and outright lies. The paper with its screaming banner headline, “Rawlings Locked Up in Congo” has among other things published that the former first couple Flt Lt and Mrs. Rawlings had virtually been declared persona non grata by Congolese officials and shut out of the Congolese Independence anniversary programme.

Daily Guide’s report also used demeaning expressions in a bid to denigrate or ridicule the former President and his spouse, in a typical Daily Guide fashion.

For the information of the general public, Flt Lt Rawlings and Nana Konadu, who had been personally invited by the Congolese President, traveled through Togo to Benin to catch a flight to Congo Brazzaville. The Rawlings’ are very close friends of the Congolese President Sasu Nguesso and family to the extent that during the recent AU Summit in Accra, Mrs. Rawlings had cooked a local dish for President Sasu Nguesso, when he was faced with very appalling protocol arrangements.

Flt Lt Rawlings and wife were guests to Former President of Benin, Nicephore Soglo when they arrived in Benin. It is important to state here that President Soglo did not travel with President and Mrs. Rawlings and indeed was not in Congo as reported by the Daily Guide. Again in Brazzaville, Flt Lt Rawlings and spouse were guests of President Sasu Nguesso.

All arrangements were in place for the Rawlings’ to take their seats at the anniversary parade when an outrageous request came from the AU Chairman, President Kufuor, who had by now arrived at Libreville Airport, insisting that he was not attending the parade in Congo if Rawlings was to be present at the parade. Such un-statesmanlike behaviour is not unexpected from President Kufuor dreading the likelihood of being dwarfed by the stature of Flt Lt Rawlings as happened in Ouagadougou about two years ago when at the Investiture of President Campoare, President Rawlings was given a sustained thunderous applause, whilst President Kufuor and delegation went almost unnoticed.

Seeing the embarrassing situation that President Kufuor was going to create, President Rawlings offered to stay away from the anniversary parade.

Other aspects of the story attributed to the so-called BBC correspondent in Lome, Ebow Godwin are best ignored.

Meanwhile His Excellency Flt Lt Rawlings has sent a congratulatory message to Professor JEA Mills for delivering what he called “ a brilliant and inspirational address” in Boston over the weekend.

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Victor Emmanuel Smith

Special Assistant and Director of Public Affairs