Rawlings Dares The State

In his first reaction to the alleged Ashaiman assault case levelled against him, Mr. J.J. Rawlings has stated that his preparedness for the worst.

In a text response to an enquiry from an Accra media set up, the two-time military adventurist who openly managed to criminally escape a court-martial defiantly stated that he would only honour the police invitation if President Kufuor and his government are investigated and prosecuted by the state apparatus. In his words, Mr. Rawlings said ?as an already condemned villain, I am waiting for their worst without a word. If the state apparatus will investigate and prosecute Kufuor?s NPP, I will accept, recognize and respect their authority. Innocent men are already in Nsawam, besides it only takes one bullet. This is what they?ve been after all along.

This brazen discreet for the state of Ghana, is yet again indicative of the lawless nature of Rawlings.Political observers have told the ADM that Rawlings is using these gimmicks to attract attention to himself because he suffers from bouts of nostalgia and delusion, two conditions which sometimes cause him depression. Another school of thought has indicated that Rawlings is behaving this way to raise the political temperature of the country.

These tendentious ploys they maintain are reminiscent of the Limann days when he incited a group of gullible soldiers against the late President, adding however that the situation on the ground today is unlike those days that that Rawlings would regret it if he tries anything funny. The then young soldiers on whose back he rode to reach his present day political height have lived to regret it, that is, those who were lucky to have escaped his killer claws.

A group of retired soldiers, some of them members of the Peace Seekers International, an NGO, have reached out and reacted to the latest antics of the former president.They particularly kicked against Rawlings? recent two-time threats of using unconventional means to change the constitutional status quo should things continue the way they are going. He served these warnings in reaction to his perceived irregularities in the conduct of the just-ended registration exercise.

Group Captain T.T. Kutin, chairman of the PSI and commissioner during the Acheampong regime warned Rawlings not to try anything funny as he is not the only man on the ground. He warned: ?our soldiers are trained men and are prepared to meet Rawlings squarely. Group Captain T.T. Kutin (rtd) expressed surprise that a ?a former head of state? would treat with impunity an invitation from the Inspector-General of Police.

He aid ?we are surprised at Rawlings? behaviour, because having been a leader for close to twenty years, he should be the first to show good examples o other citizens. We are admirers of the vice-president and his pet programme on discipline and expect all Ghanaians including Rawlings to be disciplined. Rawlings?s refusal to honour the IGPs invitation is a sign of gross indiscipline.He asked what the police could do to someone who refused to honour a police invitation.