Rawlings On Why He Prefers Prof. Mills to Kwesi Botchwey

Last Tuesday, former President Rawlings met a cross section of the press to deliver what he termed a message to NDC faithful. In the course of that our man Egbert Faibille. Jnr asked him why he was taking the shine and colour from the Mills Campaign.

In response he gave reasons why he preferred Professor Mills and will serve him anytime. He also touched on Dr. Kwesi Botchwey and Mr. P.V. Obeng

We reproduce his answer, which was captured on tape. "Should I share something very interesting with you? Do you have time for me? Yes, Prof Mills once again is a man and I believe a good number of my colleagues hold in very high regard. One of the most competent people in terms of his coordinative, engineering, mathematical, administrative competence that brought itself to bear on the cabinet during the PNDC time. That made it possible to make

One of the most competent people who made it possible to be able to conduct cabinet meetings in a very competent manner was Mr. P.V. Obeng. Following Mr. P. V. Obeng, of course, there were others also equally competent but one of the most impressive people and I think a good number of us acknowledged it, after P.V. Obeng and a few others was Prof. Mills when he joined the government.

Ladies and gentlemen, I am saying this as an acknowledgement, because I know my strength and I know my weaknesses.

When I know my strength I know their weaknesses. May be, I am the boss. When I know or acknowledge some of my weaknesses and I know some of those of them who can deal with that issue, I step back for them and they help the situation. Justice Annan, so may of them, Iddrisu Mahama and what not. Ladies and Gentlemen, when we are talking about Prof. Mills, I am just trying to get to you how I hold that man in high regard.

This man, let me say it again, was as one of our prefects in Achimota School. I didn't recognise or know him that well when we were in government or wherever he was and I was the Chairman or head of state. Something was done during one of the budgetary decisions for the country and something seemed to be going wrong about the importation of certain raw materials or broken down parts that would have to be assembled here or how much of it would see assembled here and how much the country lost in the process and some of the businessmen involved in this were telling me that they were losing when they are trying to create employment as compared to those who were importing wholesale or assembled parts.

I used to tell some of my colleagues that "this is not my job to be feeling out business people at this level. This is your job as Ministers. Leave me outside of it." But very often people had to be doing that sort of thing and then I'll bring it to their attention. One of such things was what I just mentioned to you and I called Dr. Kwesi Botchwey.

"What is going on about this and that issue?" He blamed it on Prof. Mills so I said, "Please, come with him, let me hear it out," and they came. This was at the Castle, one of the colleagues was there and as we sat down. Now, listen to the whole scenario. I am just drawing a dramatic situation. Don't take the drama of it to go and create hue and cry.

Bt as I sat at my end of the table and they came and sat down, you, as the Finance Minister, I'll presume will sit in front of me and the man who works in an institution under under you, probably will sit on the other side (gestures to his right). Professor Botchwey came and sat on the other side and put the Professor (Mills) in front of me. A man I didn't quite know - supposed to be his subordinate.

So when the issue came up and I was complaining, Dr. Kwesi Botchwey kept looking elsewhere and I was wondering what kind of situation is this.

And its like, he was leaving the whole thing to be settled on the man sitting in front of me (Prof. Mills). You want to hear things? And as I was saying, this Professor or whoever he was, was looking at me straight in the face. How many Africans tolerate that? No. I am a democrat.

No African head of state can tolerate being looked at in the face or even angrily. As this man was looking at me in the face, I could see some anger growing in his eyes. You know what I said to myself? "I am going to know the truth." Because this man displaying the anger in his eyes was going to defy, you understand, positive defiance, and I watched it.

I was grateful that I would hear the truth. When I finished, the Professor took me on. You don't believe, from that moment of watching his eyes, the man began to win my respect. By he time he finished he had won my respect.

This was a man who had displayed anger in my presence. Not that people don't get angry in my presence and insult me. They do, but this man's anger was so well founded and he had the audacity to do it and I respected him for it and he explained his situation. At the end of it all I had nothing more to offer. Why do you as his boss bring him to come and do this? - that's your business. I am just telling you that even at the level of a personal encounter, that was when I realised the value of Prof. Mills.

It didn't surprise me when I discovered that he was one of our prefects. I don't know whether it was Cardbury House or whichever House he was in. We are not doing politics here. We are sharing sincere experiences. Subsequently, may be, let me it with you again about the emergence of Professor Mills. I was glad it was him. I did not go out of my way go and pick him and say come and be Vice. I did not. I set up two different committees of people invariably, whose positions were diametrically opposed.

Believe it or not, by which time he was at IRS. Believe it or not, by which time he had gained a reputation for the strength of his integrity and what he was doing to save this country and at the same time creating avenues for the growth of the economy. The Committees, whether they conspired or not. I don't know but the two different groups brought up Prof. Mills's name..." To be continued on Monday