Rawlings angry over wreath laying

Former President Jerry John Rawlings is seething and bubbling with intense anger over the inability of the organizers of the late Prof. Atta Mills’ one year commemorative anniversary to make room for him to lay a wreath in memory of his ex-protégé and former vice president.

The former Airforce pilot-turned-president has been telling close aides at his Ridge residence that, though it was not formally communicated to him that he would lay a wreath to symbolize his unearthing and mentoring of the late president, he nevertheless, was in an expectant mood to carry out such a customary duty.

Information gathered by ?The Al-Hajj indicates that, prior to the Wednesday, July 24 wreath laying ceremony, the ex-president was seriously raged by some comments made by Professor Kwamena Ahwoi during the Atta Mills 1st Anniversary Commemorative Lecture held on Monday July 22, which was also in sync with another statement by the ex-Director of Communications of the late president, Koku Anyidoho passed on ‘60 Minutes’, a program on Accra-based, Radio Gold’s morning show the following day.

Mr. Koku Anyidoho, for the first time since the death of his boss revealed on Radio Gold that the late President Mills died with a heavy pain in his heart on the maltreatment visited on him by some people including ex-President Rawlings, a situation the “bull” as Koku is affectionately called, said, compelled him to once confront the NDC founder at the Kuku Hill office of the late President Mills to register his displeasure at the manner the ex-president was treating the then leader of the party.

Koku Anyidoho made those revelations on the radio, a day after the local government expert and leading member of the NDC, Professor Kwamena Ahwoi, whiles delivering a lecture in memory of the late president stated that, Prof. Mills was insulted and vilified by persons who “wanted him out so that they could play the game on their own terms, a game that they thought only they understood and only they were entitled to play”.

Though Prof. Ahwoi, unlike Koku Anyidoho, did not mention ex-president by name, the source revealed that, ex-president was livid by the allusions, aspersions and innuendo that were undoubtedly directed at him.

To cap it all, and as if what was meted out to former President Rawlings before and during the anniversary celebrations were not enough, the Chief Executive Officer of the National Pensions Regulatory Authority, Sam Pee Yalley on Radio Gold’s current affairs program Alhaji and Alhaji over the weekend, was reported to have lambasted, also without mentioning him by name, the NDC founder for vilifying late President Mills even in death.

Former President Rawlings whose relationship with the late President Mills has been anything but cordial prior to his death, “had a shock of his life when he was left out of the dignitaries that laid a wreath in memory of Prof. Mills,” the source added.

“I can tell you that the former president did not take that kind of shabby and humiliating treatment kindly at all… he was seriously raged over the treatment meted out to him if for nothing at all, he is the founder of the NDC and a former president, so they could have given him the opportunity to lay a wreath, either on behalf of the party or on behalf of former presidents,” the source angrily retorted.

But our sources within the Planning Committee denied that the unfortunate happening was a deliberate ploy to embarrass Mr. Rawlings. “We have know hands in this; indeed, the invitation was not done by the committee, but rather, the State Protocol”

Meanwhile, another source at the State Protocol disclosed to this paper that as at the close of day before the program day, there was no confirmation from the office of Mr. Rawlings that he will honor the invitation, rather it was in the morning of the program that word came from the former president’s office that he will attend the program.

“The time the confirmation came, we had finalized arrangement for all the necessary activities for the program including the various personalities to lay a wreath in memory of the late president, so it was not as if we deliberately overlooked President Rawlings,” the source added.

But our source at the Ridge Residence of the former Ghanaian Head of State when asked whether the NDC founder will pursue the matter further, the source noted that, ex-President Rawlings will not do such a thing but would be mindful of future engagements that have something to do with the late president.

“Because if you invite the man there only to humiliate and put him to public odium, do you expect him to attend such programs without detailed briefing as to what his role at the function will be in future?” the source quarried.

At the colorful but sorrowful ceremony at the “Asomdwe” park as part of events earmarked by the planning committee to commemorate the one year shocking passing of the late President Mills, his successor, President John Mahama laid the first wreath on behalf of Ghanaians, the Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Honorable Doe Adjaho and the Chief Justice, Georgina Theodora Woode laid the second and the third wreaths on behalf the legislature and the judiciary respectively.

Wife of the late President, Dr. (Mrs) Ernestina Naadu Mills also laid another wreath followed by then Chief of Defense Staff, the deceased’s family and the Osu Mantse, Nii Okwei Kinka Dowuona VI.

Conspicuously missing in action was former President Rawlings who was expected by many to also lay a wreath in memory of the late president since he was allowed to carry out the same rite during the funeral rite of the late Prof. Mills last year.

Obviously bewildered and angered by his inability to lay a wreath, former President Rawlings in his usual attention grabbing mood plucked a flower and laid it on the grave of his once beloved and vilified party leader after the end of the program.

A situation the source said was to demonstrate former President Rawlings’ indignation at the way he was treated and to also show that he would have also wished to lay a wreath.