I disagree with Rawlings but can’t talk about him - Former NDC MP

A former Member of Parliament for the Nanton Constituency, Ibrahim Mohammed Murtala, has expressed concerns about the rampant tirades of former President Jerry John Rawlings against corruption, saying he is sometimes restrained to criticize his party’s leader.

The former National Democratic Congress (NDC) legislator emphasized that “Sometimes, I find it difficult to talk about the former president”.

Speaking on TV3’s New Day on Saturday about the former president’s attribution of NDC’s loss in the 2016 elections to corruption, Mr Murtala said Mr Rawlings has the right to talk about several social issues but some of his pronouncements may not be acceptable by all.

“I will disagree with a lot of the things he says,” the former Deputy Information Minister said, adding that he is least surprised, for that matter, when some opponents question the integrity of Mr Rawlings on some of his pronouncements. On the issue of corruption, for instance, he said the former NDC leader criticizes every government as if his was without fail.

“He has been talking about this within the NDC. He’s been talking about this in NPP, in every government.” But “when it comes to his wife, I don’t think she has the moral turpitude to talk about probity and accountability,” he stressed.

According to the former Deputy Industry Minister, Mrs Nana Konadu Agyemang-Rawlings was responsible for the collapse of the Nsawam Canary, which he claims was embroiled in graft.

The former MP, subsequently, calls for unity within the ranks and file of the party and a halt to the blame game. “The challenge I have with [Former President] Rawlings is that he uses himself as the standard to judge everybody.”