Rawlings to boom

-Ends ‘Romance’ With JM

By A. A. Yayra and Alhaji Bature Iddrisu

For those who might have thought the days of Jerry John Rawlings’ ‘boom’ speeches are over or might have deeply missed them and are wondering whether the National Democratic Congress founder would ever ‘roar’ again due to his loud inexplicable silence must begin to revise their notes, the ‘good and bad news’ is that the ‘incorrigible’ former President has finally decided to end his self-imposed gagging and will soon start ‘firing’ at all cylinders.

Abundantly clad in his new ‘boom’ regalia like a veteran soldier ready for war, Mr. Rawlings, who has explicitly and unsympathetically pounded all administrations in the fourth Republic except his, and the infant President Mahama administration is expected to begin whipping the government as he is done others following his decision to gruffly end his dalliance with President John Mahama, which begun after the demise of Mahama’s predecessor, late President John Mills.

Even though Mr. Rawlings was initially nonchalant as to whether President Mahama was a worthy replacement of late President Mills, as found in his infamous expression of “I don’t know but I hope so” to the BBC in Congo on the death day of the late President, the two subsequently seemed to be getting on well, hence his ‘loud silence’.

But veritable source close to the former air force-pilot-turned president, told this paper that, even as Mr. Rawlings was initially full of praise for President Mahama for his ability to seemingly clip the wings of leading functionaries of the NDC he (Rawlings) had repeatedly tagged “greedy bastards”; happenings in the current government since the inauguration of John Mahama on January 7 irks the NDC founder so much that not a day passes by without him complaining to aides, nonetheless, he has kept his noxious ‘boom’ speeches to himself.

“Although the NDC founder was enthused about that as if it was an honor done him by President Mahama, he has been displeased with certain happenings under his watch and had wanted to ‘boom’ but for the then pending election petition engineered by three leading members of the opposition New Patriotic Party challenging the president’s legitimacy and the impression that he (Rawlings) was micromanaging the President, he ‘swallowed’ his venom”, the source stated. According to the source, Rawlings, who declined to openly endorse Mahama’s candidature ahead of the 2012 election but was often seen in photo sessions with the president soon after the election, is seething with intense anger over what he considers cataclysmic to the principles and ideals of the PNDC/NDC. Consistently lashing out at Heads of State before him and after for not upholding the moral high ground and not leaving up to the principles of probity, accountability and social justice; though others have questioned if he lived those principles, our source say, Mr. Rawlings is particularly peeved at attempts by some leaders in the current regime to decouple the NDC and the Provisional National Defense Council.

The source said, other ‘misdeeds’ by the government that has caused the ex-revolutionary turned democrat to jump from his ‘rat hole’ of loud silence is what he termed ‘the deliberate and purposeful attempt to isolate the government from him and the inability or refusal of President Mahama to sufficiently deal with corruption and do away with politics of patronage’.

“Now that the election petition storm has been lifted off the head of President Mahama, and the fact that he is also regrettably, trying to elbow the former president with certain public pronouncements that cast a slur on the PNDC that gave birth to the NDC, Chairman Rawlings will soon assume his ‘boom’ posture but this time with an intensified version”, the source stated.

According to the source, what actually rattled the former president’s cage the more, was President Mahama’s statement at the 68th United Nations General Assembly, which tortuously seems to add much flesh to the latter’s resolve to move the NDC under him from its ‘mother’, the PNDC, a revolutionary grouping Mr. Rawlings values and still cherish so much.

As if by an act of sheer coincidence of mind-reading, whiles President Mahama on Thursday at the UN General Assembly was ‘slashing’ African leaders of former President Rawlings’ generation for repressive rule, maladministration and rights abuse, the former president was also at the same time at the funeral home of the celebrated poet and former Council of State chair, Prof. Awoonor berating the current President and some leaders of the NDC whom he referred to as ‘latter day saints’ working hard to consign the PNDC era to the garbage-can of history. Addressing the UN body last Thursday, President John Mahama probably in an unintended manner but nevertheless seen as a bashing of former African leaders including his party founder stated: “When independence was upon us and our possibilities felt endless, the world saw how brightly Africa could shine. Then, for decades that light was dimmed…

There was a time when killing seemed almost commonplace in Africa. Indeed, there are plenty of graves that remain unmarked. There was a time when the ruthlessness of dictators seemed to be the order of the day. For decades the corruption, greed and depravity of a few caused the suffering of an entire continent.”

Continuing, the Ghanaian Head of State told the world’s august body “There is no place in today's Africa for hatred and intolerance and the murder of innocent people. Not anymore. Not ever again. So we will mourn our dead. We will console ourselves, and each other, through the grief. But we cannot allow terror to defeat us. This must strengthen our resolve. Our stride will not be broken.”

Speaking on the wave of democratic culture and rule of law currently sweeping across the African continent with specific reference to the Ghanaian and Kenyan disputed but settled elections; the Ghanaian President said, “Ghana's victory is not an aberration. Other countries, like Kenya, have shared similar experiences. This indicates that democratic institutions in Africa are growing stronger. It indicates that the balance of power in African countries is shifting from the authority of a sole individual to the more equitable process of a properly designed system. Strong institutions are the hallmark of a nation's stability. They are crucial tools in the fight for human rights.”

Whiles President Mahama was basking on contemporary governance in Africa on the UN stage, Mr. Rawlings at Prof. Awoonor’s funeral home was strenuously eulogizing his era with jabs at those in the ruling NDC government he described as ‘latter day saints’, “On the onset of the 31st December 1981 revolution when integrity was very high you (Prof. Awoonor) were one of the bold and leading advocates of the PNDC principles and we thank you for it.”

President Rawlings though without mentioning the president by name noted “Professor Awoonor’s role during the revolution should be celebrated and not shoved under the carpet by some current leaders of the NDC (latter day saints) who choose to dissociate themselves from the ideals of the PNDC that gave birth to the NDC”.

Adding that: “Professor Awoonor helped lay the foundation of the revolution which saw a period with a sense of purpose and integrity – a period when democracy was at its best…”

Paradoxically, President Mahama is notable among the current NDC hierarchy on whose shoulders the party rest on, who has no perceptible records with the PNDC. Indeed, President Mahama’s ‘marry’ with the NDC only came to light when he stood on the ticket of the PNDC’s ‘offspring’, the NDC as a parliamentary candidate for Bole-Bamboi in 1996 and was subsequently appointed Deputy Minister, and later substantive Minister of Communication by ex-president Rawlings. The likes of Alhaji Iddrisu Mahama, P V Obeng, Totobi Kwakye, Johnson Asiedu Nketsiah, Capt. Kojo Tsikata, Dr. Kwabena Adjei, Vice President Amissah Arthur, Kwame Peprah and the Ahwoi brothers and other old guards presently running the NDC were bold and loyal lieutenants of the PNDC, and therefore cannot qualify as those the former President referred to as “latter day saints” dissociating themselves from the ideals of the PNDC that gave birth to the NDC. Whiles many may consider Mr. Rawlings’ statement as one of his proverbial and ambiguous sayings, the source said, the NDC founder’s pronouncement at Prof. Awoonor’s funeral home was to send signals to Ghanaians and President Mahama that he has not been incapacitated when it comes to ‘boom’ speeches.