Rawlings is a spent force - Prof. Ayittey

Former President Rawlings has been described as a spent political force and a very minimal threat to national security.

In an interview with the Chronicle in Accra, an eminent member of the Institute of Economic Affairs and academician of international repute, Professor George Ayittey, said the military, the source of Rawlings's power, got progressively divided in its loyalty to Rawlings. This trend also showed up among members of the 64 Regiment who felt Jerry Rawlings had betrayed the ideals of their revolution. Commandos, towards the end of the reign of Mr. Rawlings, started sneaking out because the principles they fought for were now being undermined with impunity by appointees right under their noses.

The professor also noted that the gradual retrenchment of members of the ACDR and their being sidelined from core party and grassroots decision making lowered their morale, thereby reducing the force of their loyalty to Jerry John Rawlings.

Another factor, which Professor Ayittey saw as a barrier to a bouncing back of Rawlings, is that he no longer enjoys the unqualified loyalty of the Ghana Armed Forces.

The military itself had become increasingly worried over the problems of politicization of the Ghana Armed Forces and how that has affected the espirit de corps of the army. Rawlings's exit, he noted, would provide the army the impetus to reassert its dignified roles and important contributions to global peacekeeping efforts.

On whether Ghanaians would accept any coup maker tomorrow, he pointed out that possibly, a few noisemakers may jump onto the streets, but the majority of Ghanaians today are evidently fed up with military adventurers.

"The vast majority of our people have been so sensitized by revelations by revelations of corruption, acts of brutality and the incompetent handling of the economy that any attempt to return to the coup days would spell a disaster for our nation.

"The days when it was fashionable to jump onto an armoured car and drive from Burma Camp to Broadcasting and announce oneself as Head of State on a radio station is over. Now we have several stations all around the country that can quickly mobilize support against any adventurer".

"All Rawlings can do now is to rant and rave. But these are just a bellowing of a dying horse. Bit by bit his cult and personality aura is being chipped away by revelations of corruption and very soon, he will be an Emperor with no clothes on".

Since the inception of the current government there have been fears that ex-president Rawlings, who has for three solid times been involved in various acts of destabilization in the nation's history, might again want to interfere with the current constitutional process.

This speculation has been heightened by the alleged visit of the ex-President to the Air Force Base in Burma Camp Accra to fly an aircraft. His relationship with Odinga Odinga, a man said to have helped Rawlings overthrow the Limann government and who is now currently in the grips of the security agencies facing due process of the law as well as his "boom speech".

Speaking to the Chronicle on how to get the nation out of its current economic woes, Prof. Ayittey revealed that there are Ghanaians outside the country who command vast resources both human and material which would be an alternative to donor support and World Bank/IMF financial packages.

He cited the Cyber Space Groups, a body of young high profile Ghanaian professional and business people, as a vehicle through which the much-needed hard cash for investment and development could be tapped for rebuilding the nation.

He also expressed confidence in the ability of the group to form the leadership base necessary for the nation's rise as the economic and intellectual giant of Africa.