Managing Editor of the Al-Hajj newspaper, Alhaji Iddrisu Bature has said the former President Jerry John Rawlings’ speech at a forum to commemorate the 34th anniversary of the June 4 up-rising was below the belt and inappropriate to blame former President Kufuor and late J.E Mills for doing little to help the development of the country.

According to him, Ex-President Kufuor over the years has distinguished himself to be an honorable statesman, and that cannot be taken away from him despite former President Rawlings’ accusations.

“President Rawlings’ speech on June 4 about President Kufuor and President Mills, I thought that was below the belt. I thought that where President Kufuor has reached, hate him (Kufuor) or like him, he has joined the club of Ghanaian living statesmen.

“...Ex-President Rawlings is a friend of President Kufuor and attends programmes together, can’t he grow up? Despite whatever the NDC did to President Kufuor, since he left office, he has never shown bitterness in him because he (Prez Kufuor) has recognized that by virtue of the fact that he has been a president of the country, he has been exalted so he will not go to town and say negative things about his predecessor again,” he said on Asempa FM.

Former President Jerry Rawlings criticized his successors, former President J. A. Kufour and the late President J.E. A Mills, for reversing the gains chalked up by Ghana after the June 4, 1979 'revolution'.

Speaking at a forum to commemorate the 34th anniversary of the June 4 up-rising on Monday, Jerry Rawlings said: “setbacks and reversals” had replaced the gains of the revolution.

But Alhaji Bature believes that all the socio-economic problems Ghana is encountering today can be traced to the bad foundation Mr. Rawlings laid during his 19 year rule.

“If the foundation laid was that of Mahatia Mohammed of Malaysia or that of American presidents, no matter who we elect as a leader they could not have led this country to what it is now,” he stated.

He added: “Rawlings should note that, it wasn’t by his might or his strength that he has been able to rule this country for 19 years, but it is the people that allowed him to rule. Can Rawlings confirm to Ghanaians that those people who helped him to achieve his aim are still with him? Are those people with him? That is where I thought he (Rawlings) should reflect more”.