You are here: HomeOpinionsArticles2012 04 29Article 237197

Opinions of Sunday, 29 April 2012

Columnist: Sangaparee, Clement

Rawlings, The ‘’Murderer ‘’ Now A Saint In The Eyes Of The NPP?

On June 4th 1979, an angry wind for SOCIAL CHANGE blew strongly and steady across the length and breadth of Ghana into every City, every Town, every Village and every Hamlet It blew into every abode and workplace, high and low, it carried the spirit and the undying principle upon which the yearning of the greater majority of Ghanaians for a meaningful change – for an ACCEPTABLE LIVING STANDARDS, FOR JUSTICE to be ESTABLISHED. And so June 4th dragged on, as if by the scruff of the knuckle and into the National consciousness, sacred principles which had HITHER TO been IGNORED or pushed to the BACKGROUND as there was one law for the Rich and another law for the Poor before June 4, and Ghana became a laughing stock of the international community. One of these undying principles was that, there should be established a society in which all Ghanaians without regards to the kind of tribal marks on the face, level of education, status in the society are EQUAL BEFORE THE LAW. And from then on, there will not be in Ghana, one law for the other so-called untouchable Big man and the labourer, and this was and is still the TRUE MESSAGE of June 4, which the NPP and their presidential candidate Nana Akuffo Addo, Ex- president Kuffour and the entire NPP machinery love to hate and that explains the main reason why Ex- president J.A Kuffour outlawed June 4 through a legislation during his administration in 2001 to 2008. I have written this article for the benefits of Ghana Youth and political science students.

THE COMMON ENEMY AND ‘’MURDERER’’.
Since Ghana returned to constitutional rule in 1992, the NPP has constantly described Rawlings as the Common Enemy in Ghana and went further to describe him as an ‘’Owudini’’- a murderer in the Akan language, and they made several attempts to overthrow him during the PNDC era, but failed because patriotic cadres including this writer virtually carried the PNDC on their shoulders by ensuring that no person or group of people could plan a successful coup de ‘tat to overthrow Rawlings. Thousands of cadres died in the process from 1982-1992. Corruption in Ghana was 1% from 1982 -1989 –the first since Ghana’s independence in March 1957. When Rawlings finally left office after the then candidate Mills was defeated in 2000, US Marines lined their war ships on the shores of Ghana in order to capture Rawlings alive and even kill him , because Ex-president Kuffour had told the World Police Man (America) that Rawlings was NOT prepared to hand over to him which was a FAT LIE ANYWAY. Rawlings finally handed over peacefully to J.A Kuffour on 7th January, 2001 and it looked as if he was rather overthrown through a coup de’tat as all Hell broke loose on NDC members in Ghana as they were treated constantly as 3rd rate Ghanaians. The Rawlingses are trying to destroy themselves in the eyes of cadres but we won’t allow them to do that. Cadres advised them in 1996 but they snubbed the cadres this time round, if the Rawlingses snub the cadres once again and use ‘’patapaa’’ to bring down Mills, they will regret it because time has changed. It is a matter on record that persons from the Danquah / Busia tradition which the NPP represent today were the very people who crippled Ghana because whenever they are in Opposition, whoever is in power must be subverted and overthrown. They are now performing better in opposition so let them remain there till 2028 Frankly speaking, what the NPP want and have never been bold enough to say so openly is that they should always be in power and not the NDC, CPP, PNC or any other political party, because they falsely believe that Ghana belong to them than all others. The Kuffour administration did not mince words in saying that by the time he completes his term as a President, the NDC will cease to exist as they would have jailed all the ex- ministers under Rawlings and they went ahead to make several assassination attempts on the life of Rawlings right from 2001-2008 when they lost power to the NDC with a small margin of only 40,000 votes. The 1992 constitution empowers every government to pay all former first ladies monthly until they die – and all former first ladies were been paid monthly by the NPP government EXCEPT Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings whose salary was stopped for 8 years on the orders of Ex- president Kuffour why?(2)All vehicles and landed properties of the 31st December – Women’s Movement , an NGO were confiscated by the NPP government. why? (3)All teachers on secondment to the numerous day nurseries of the 31st –December Women’s Movement were all withdrawn on the orders of President Kuffour. why? (4) Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings was put on trial for 8 years and she would have been jailed by the high court on the orders of President Kuffour if the NPP had won the election in 2008. why? (5) Nana Akuffo Addo, the then foreign minister in the Kuffour government withdrew all the diplomatic courtesies of J.J Rawlings and he carried his bag on his back whenever he travels out of Ghana. why? (6) Invitation letters by some international bodies sent through the ministry of foreign affairs in Ghana meant for the Rawlingses were always withheld until the dates expired before such letters were delivered to the Rawlingses. They therefore channeled such invitations through the 31st December Women’s Movement. Why? Therefore why should the Rawlingses now receive a standing ovation by thousands of NPP supporters whenever they attend their official function? The NPP now regard Rawlings as a Saint and not a Common Enemy or a Murderer again, because they want POLITICAL POWER ISN’T IT? Rawlings is a crowd puller and he is now a celebrated Hero in the eyes of the NPP and an OUTCAST in his own political party in which he is the Founder and the leadership of the NDC is also swallowing the bait of the tribal grouping calling itself the NPP –isn’t it ? By so doing, the Rawlingses are rather insulting the intelligence of all cadres of June 4, and the 31st December revolution who sacrificed external to make them what they are today -2012. For heaven’s sake the Rawlingses must lead the NDC campaign in ‘’2012’’. Only yesterday, Rawlings was described as the Junior Judas by the NPP but today, he is their Junior Jesus and they wish he was an NPP leading member – They won’t get him. Let me remind the Rawlingses that, when you are invited to a dinner by the devil, you don’t go at all, or you go with a long spoon .The NPP is wooing the Rawlingses to destroy the Mills government to enable them grabs political power but the NPP would fail. We are all Rawlings boys including President Mills but we would not help Rawlings to cause the defeat of Mills in December 2012 at all ‘’Double Tofiakwa’’. The Rawlingses must CALM DOWN and lead the NDC to victory for Mills to hand over in 2017AT ALL COST.Is that clear? I shall return when the need arises. Aluta continua!