Cape Coast Barrister lambastes JJ

A Cape Coast barrister, Mr. Kwesi Spio, who is also the Central Regional president of the Ghana Bar Association (GBA), has condemned in no uncertain terms the periodic outburst, coupled with threats of violence, by the former President of the country, Flt. Lt. J. J. Rawlings.

He noted that Ghanaians, known to have the philosophy for peace, have been able to contain him (Rawlings) despite his outburst and indiscipline to all and sundry for the past 20 years.

Spio, who is also the former regional chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), speaking to the Chronicle in an exclusive interview here last week, said Ghanaians had put into practice their philosophy of always saying “Fa ma Nyame” literally meaning “give it to the Lord” even in times of serious difficulties.

He pointed out that it is apparently because of this that the former President has taken advantage of to engage in loose talks since coming into politics in 1979. The question, Spio said, people are asking is whether he (Rawlings) is truly a Ghanaian because the man does not talk and think about peace, which is the nature of all Ghanaians.

Touching on military personnel who have reached their statutory age of retirement not to be retired, Spio called on senior commanders of the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) to challenge Rawlings to find out from him whether his present attitude to the new government is not a rare example of indiscipline to the state.

The regional GBA president wondered when the former President decided to champion the cause of the GAF during his reign, he did not care a hoot about the senior officers.

He, however, urged the NPP government under President J. A. Kufuor to ignore Rawlings, because he is fighting a losing battle and hence he is doing all these things to win the confidence and support of the armed forces through his unguaredede utterances.

He, however, stated that the teeming supporters of the NPP, when pushed to the wall, will continue to defend democracy, despite the outburst of the former President aimed at bringing tension into the Ghanaian society, adding that the time has come for the government to institute measures to prevent Rawlings from operating under the guise of the June 4 Uprising, which has been outlawed.

Spio pointed out that indiscipline and statesmanship are incompatible and wondered what sort of qualities the UN Secretary General, Mr. Kofi Annan, might have seen in Rawlings to appoint him as an Ambassador of Peace, an appointment usually given to good men of integrity.

He warned that whatever people, including Mr. Rawlings, are sowing, “they will reap the same thing.” The GBA regional president further noted that any statesman worth his salt must exude peace and not “violence based on boom, boom.”

He intimated that over the past 20 years, Ghanaians, as a peace loving people, have been able to contain him, despite his continued threats not because they fear him but because they love peace and, therefore, only look at him to mess up himself as he is doing now.

He accused the former President of failing to provide facilities to the armed forces during his administration and seeing that the NPP government is doing what was expected of him as one of them, he is finding ways and means of covering himself, hence the hullabaloo talks apparently to win favour from the forces. Spio, therefore, appealed to the GAF not to listen to his political gimmicks, because if there was something that should be done for the armed forces, it was he who should have done it.