Restore dignity to the Presidency - Rawlings tells Mahama

The former President of Ghana, Jerry John Rawlings, has admonished President Mahama to restore dignity and integrity to the Presidency, which he says would be his first step to victory in the 2012 elections.

Addressing a charged crowd at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium on Thursday, ex President Rawlings said “electoral victory will depend on a number of things such as how quickly you can restore integrity to the presidency, to the government and to the party”.

President Rawlings also urged members of the NDC to desist from the habit of poking insults to people who have sacrificed for the party and attempting to embrace them during elections just for political expediency.

“The uncivilized tendency of poking people who have sacrificed and later attempting to embrace them for political expediency must stop. It’s an insult to their intelligence.

“How much of the damage can we correct in order to enhance our prospect? How much credibility can we restore now before the elections? Mr. Rawlings queried.

He however expressed his gratitude to the President Mahama for his quick response to providing street lights to Tefle, an area in the Volta region where a spate of women have murdered in recent times.

“I would like you all to join me in congratulating the President John Mahama, he responded to an urgent request to use his authority to provide streetlights where a spate of killings has increased drastically over the last year. He very quickly ordered the ECG people to get the place lit up the place.

“While I am grateful and expressing this gratitude for his intervention, it is important that the lukewarm attitude of some of these incidents should be investigated” President Rawlings said.

The founder of the NDC also made a clarion call to all members of the party to move put and begin vigorous campaign to ensure that the NDC retains power.

Those sitting at the comfort of their homes, waiting for others to win elections for them the time has come for them to wake up and hit the campaign trail. Use this gathering, hopefully, to bring back the principles that have established us from other political parties.