Daily Guide: JJ Flown Out!

Sources close to former President Jerry John Rawlings have hinted DAILY GUIDE that he was flown out of the country to South Africa for medical attention last Saturday.

Mr Rawlings was yesterday absent at a programme at the Prempeh Assembly Hall in Kumasi to climax the 29th anniversary of the coup that shot him to political limelight.

Many party sources could not tell why their idol was not present, even though his associates had earlier assured Kumasi residents of his attendance.

It appears the former President is suffering from a cardiac ailment and acute exhaustion, a source close to him has indicated.

As to why he did not seek medical attention locally, DAILY GUIDE learnt Mr. Rawlings’ minders dreaded the dissemination of such information and the subsequent trooping of party activists to whichever infirmary he might be sent.

Some other sources within the party had denied the foregone information, saying the former military dictator and his wife, Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings, were in far away United States of America for an official engagement.

He was earlier missing in action at a lecture on Monday at the Teachers’ Hall in Accra.

The Kumasi programme, which was under the theme “Liberating the people through the ballot box - the impetus of the June 4 action”, lost its characteristic pomp and fervor as virtually all the big shots of the party including its flagbearer, Prof. J.E.A Mills, his running mate, John Dramani Mahama and the party General Secretary, Johnson Asiedu Nketia boycotted the notorious political event.

Hours before the start of the function, Doe Ajoho Tamakloe, Ashanti Regional Secretary of the party had deceived the public on radio into believing that former President Rawlings was on his way to Kumasi and was scheduled to arrive at the function at 10 am.

Speaking at the event, the Deputy General Secretary of the NDC, Elvis Afriyie Ankrah urged Ghanaians to be proud of ex-President Jerry John Rawlings for staging the 1979 coup.

“Stop giving former President Rawlings a bad name just to hang him. In fact, ex-President Rawlings deserves to be immortalized in this country because of his immeasurable contribution towards the socio-economic development,” he indicated with burning passion.

The June 4, 1979 revolution saw junior officers of the Ghana Armed Forces seizing political power through the barrel of the gun and the lining up of eight senior officers including three heads of state, who were shot to death.

Afriyie Ankrah mentioned that the manner in which the New Patriotic Party (NPP) had used its propaganda machinery over the years to destroy the hard-won reputation of ex-President Rawlings was not only in bad taste but also strongly objectionable.

The Deputy General Scribe argued that the founder of the largest opposition party was responsible for the building of a solid foundation which had cushioned the country to the level it had reached now.

“Ex-President Rawlings is the main brain behind all the good things we are enjoying currently as a nation.

“Ex-President Rawlings is the only leader the country has had in the past who ruled this country with truth, humility and unalloyed love for all.”

Rawlings has made history in this country for being the only military officer who successfully staged two different coups and was one of the key architects of the bloody military revolution in 1979.

He rose to the chairmanship position of the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC) which was formed to rule the country after the mutiny on June 4.

This year’s commemoration of the bloody military revolt was organized by Youth for Leadership (YFL), a group of young NDC activists who claim to be one of the civil society organizations in the country.

The Deputy General Secretary, who spoke with ardor, praised the June 4 mutiny, saying without that action, the country could not have achieved political and economic stability.

“I sometimes marvel at people who condemn June 4 without critically considering the conditions that led to the revolution.”

Mr. Afriyie Ankrah stressed that contrary to misinformation that ex-President Rawlings was not a believer of democratic principles, his demeanor during the days of his presidency amply testified that he was indeed a champion of democracy.

“How can we describe a person who conceded victory to an opposition party in an election he had organized and willingly gone ahead to hand over peacefully, as a man who does not believe in democracy?” he asked rhetorically.

Afriyie Ankrah stated that the NDC is proud of June 4 and would therefore be associated with it till the end of time.

“People should not naively forget that we cannot run away from history, especially one that has positive bearing on the society like the June 4 Uprising.”

The National Chairman of Youth for Leadership, Abubakar Saddique Musah said their organization, henceforth, would take the mantle in defending at all times June 4, former President Rawlings and the values he stood for.

“I promise you that my organization from today will do everything possible including the organization of seminars, holding of press conferences among others to defend June 4 and the legacies of ex-President Rawlings.”

He argued that the country could only progress to the desired level if leaders mustered the needed courage to exhibit the strong values of Rawlings, which included social justice for all, probity and accountability and above all, respect for human rights.

The programme, which coincided with the official inauguration of the Ashanti regional branch of Youth for Leadership, was attended by other NDC bigwigs like Alhaji Huudu Yahaya, Second National Vice Chairman.

Others were spokesperson for ex-President Rawlings and NDC Deputy Youth Organiser, Kofi Adams; National Propaganda Secretary, Fiifi Kwetey; some former ministers, DCEs and aspiring parliamentary candidates, among others.

Other NDC gurus who spoke at the programme included Barbara Serwaa Asamoah, NDC’s parliamentary candidate for Offinso South; Dr Ayirebi Acquah, former Minister of Local Government; Prof F.K. Atakpa of the University of Cape Coast; and Dr K.A. Caesar.

The programme, which delayed excessively in commencement, was co-chaired by Prof Ohene Adjei, a microbiologist at the Kwame Nrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) and Nana Osei Poku Dwamena, the Kyidomhene of Toase in the Atwima Nwabiagya district of the Ashanti Region.