Rawlings is never above the law - NPP

Accra, Nov. 4, GNA - Former President Jerry John Rawlings is never above the law, the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) stated in Accra on Saturday and called on the security agencies to evaluate security implications of his recent pronouncement for the appropriate action.

"We are all equally before the law irrespective of our present or past social status, it therefore places greater responsibility on all, especially leaders to live above reproach or prepare to face the appropriate legal or security directives," Mr Emmanuel Adu-Gyamfi a member of the NPP Council of Elders at Dome-Kwabenya Constituency branch stated in Accra.

Mr Adu-Gyamfi who was addressing the constituency delegate's conference of the party at Atomic Hills, urged the security agencies to be proactive in their responses to some of the comments of the Ex-President, especially those that seeks to stir-up the public against the government.

He also appealed to Ex-President Rawlings to be circumspect and avoid statements that had the potential of endangering national security and creating political tension, "we must all protect our multi-party democracy irrespective of our apposition to the party in government." Mr Adu-Gyamfi, who is the former Constituency Chairman for Ga North also appealed to NPP activities to avoid the temptation of apathy, close their ranks and work for the common aim of building a strong party structure for Elections 2008.

Mr Alex Quartey, Deputy Greater Accra regional Secretary of the party who supervise the conference assured Ghanaians that the NPP administration would continue to ensure that everybody's rights are protected, respected and defended irrespective of their religious or ethnic background.

He said the NPP government had over the past six years reversed the economic decay and propped up the cedi, which had resulted in accelerate economic development, to the admiration of the international community. Mr Quartey said, "we have fulfilled our electoral promise of making health care accessible to the people through the abolishing of the cash and carry system with a more human centred National Health Insurance Scheme, create jobs for the youth and created the enabling environment for people to develop their potentials in a congenial atmosphere. In his welcoming address, the Constituency Chairman Mr Moses Osei Fordjour expressed concern about the use of false propaganda to discredit the government and create dissatisfaction in the country. He said it is wrong for the opposition to use lies to win the people's mandate, stressing, " lies disintegrate the society and therefore called on the electorate to be mindful of politicians who are out to deceive them.

Mr Fordjour advised Ghanaians to be wary of those seeking their mandate, saying that bad governance is a recipe for corruption we have experienced it before and we do not want to go back to the dark days of our democratic dispensation.

This, he said, should, no longer be allowed to happen. "Because we have tested true multi-party democratic governance."

He said the NPP still has a lot to do and called on the electorate to be wary of false 'prophets' who used political governance to intimidate their opponents to come back to power.

The NPP Chairman lauded the role of President John Agyekum Kufuor in the development of Ghana, which he said, needs no emphasis since he has brought true political change and socio-economic development. He said to ensure the stability of the country, "we need continuity in change by returning our Members of Parliament and our Presidential Candidate for Elections 2008 to power".

All 16-ward chairmen, leading members within the constituency and a cross-section of party faithful, attended the Delegate Congress.