Oh, Rawlings!...He is depressed over 'criminals' surrounding him

17 years after he launched his revolution to rid the country of corruption, President Jerry Rawlings s depressed that his vision of a corruption-free Ghana still remains a dream.

The paper says the President could not hide his frustration at the level of criminality among the security personnel and what he described as "their civilian collaborators", when he addressed soldiers at the El-Wak Stadium in Accra to celebrate the 17th anniversary of the 31st December, 1981 revolution. The Chronicle says in an extempore speech after his prepared text that touched on efforts to derail his revolution and dampen the revolutionary spirit, the allegation that he was paid 5 million dollars by Nigeria and the situation in Sierra Leone, President Rawlings berated both security personnel and their officers for being corrupting influences that are undermining the integrity of the security services. "There are some soldiers who have put their services at the disposal of criminal civilian businessmen who build houses for them", he is reported as telling the parade of soldiers. GRi

In another front page story headlined: "The President's health causes scare", the Chronicle says reports quoting Castle sources indicate that President Jerry Rawlings had been receiving treatment for malignant and recurring malaria, and this has sent shock waves of justifiable concern among some medical practitioners. The reports, the paper says, came almost six months after the 52-year-old President nearly collapsed during a speech to commission a mine in the Ashanti Region, last year.

According to the Chronicle, concerns in medical circles were raised at the malignment turn of the malaria and suggested that a proper diagnosis should be conducted on "our President for us to know his health status". The President's health, the paper says attracted attention during the celebrations marking the 17th anniversary of the 31at December revolution when he appeared tired while delivering is address to troops at the El-Wak Stadium in Accra.