Can We Trust Rawlings?

THE NEW GAME OF THE OLD ROARING LION

BY Emmanuel Opuni

In recent times, former president Rawlings and the NDC have been portraying that he will not control professor Mills should he win the election to become the next president of Ghana. Based on the history of Rawlings, I think this is just his new game being used as a conduit to control the free people of Ghana one more time. We can avoid the further control of Rawlings through this election.

In 1981, when former president Liman was on the throne, Rawlings was always saying that things are not going on well and so he needed to take over the government. He did everything possible to deceive the late Liman in order to have an easy coup so that he (Rawlings) can become the head of state. After, playing the game to take over the country, Liman was reduced to nothing for the rest of his life. He was not even respected or cared for as a former president until he died a poor death. How many times was Liman recognised as even a former president in Rawlings decades of rule in Ghana? Liman(who was described by K.B.Asante as an introvert who does well without attracting attention) was giving a raw deal all the days of his life after Rawlings took over the country. Do you think if Liman knew this was what was going to happen he would have allowed Rawlings to take over? Rawlings is a great actor who played the game to deceive Liman and Ghanaians in 1981. Shall we give Rawlings another chance?

Rawlings played games and deceived his own fellow soldiers and allies who helped him succeed in coups in 1979 and 1981. He played the game and killed some of them, some of them had to run into exile for their lives, others were imprisoned. Rawlings is a very good actor-he is not real most of the time. Are we going to take Rawlings’ word?

Rawlings is playing a new game in the current dispensation of Ghanaian politics. It is a common knowledge that attachment of Rawlings to Mills has not been helping Mills since the 2000 elections. Rawlings and NDC knowing this, planned a game to deceive the good people of Ghana. From the NDC’s primaries to elect the presidential candidate for the party, Rawlings seamed not to support any candidate so that people will think that after all he does not support Mills this time-Rawlings has always supported Mills. This was the beginning of the game just to show the good people of Ghana that Mills was fighting for the presidency by his own effort(he was not been put there by Rawlings) so he will not yield to Rawlings’ control should he become president. What sort of game is this?

Another face of the play showed up during the selection of the Vice presidential candidate, Rawlings and his wife appeared to support Mrs. Betty Iddrisu and Mills appeared to support Mahama so that everyone will think that Mills is his own man when Mahama was selected. Nana Konadu said on radio that if Mills did not choose Betty, then it was going to be a problem for Mills. In an interview after Mills has chosen Mahama, Rawlings also said clearly that he supported Betty and not Mahama. This was perhaps the best part of the game. I believe this was planned to show the people of Ghana that Mills is his own man but I am very sure this was a game. The is a case of political actors acting. This is not real. They are playing-up. It is not true that Mills is his own man. If we allow Mills to become the next president, the reality will be unfolding day-by-day. However, if we have the opportunity to avoid this catastrophe, we must act now! We must vote against Mills in the Run-off to avoid Rawlings taking control of the nation again. Every show of Mills being his own man is not true.

Let us consider the following. First of all, Rawlings is NDC and NDC is Rawlings. The party was founded by Rawlings. Rawlings signed the party’s constitution with his own blood. Rawlings is the party and the party is Rawlings-this is undisputable. Following this, how can somebody like Mills do what he likes if he wins an election on the ticket of the NDC? The party does not belong to him. He did not found the party. He has not contributed exceptionally to the party. You think about this-can Mills over rule Rawlings dictates under the circumstance?

Secondly, how did Mills become who he is in NDC? The late former vice president Akaa had disagreements with Rawlings. Akaa was given a wicked, heavy, merciless, physical fisticuff brutality treat by a physically strong former soldier man (Rawlings). It is a common knowledge that Akaa was beaten until his political suit was irreparably torn. So, in the next election, Rawlings wanted someone who would say ‘yes’ to everything. Yes- man Mills was chosen in the end. Also, it was Rawlings who chose Mills to stand as the presidential candidate of the NDC when Rawlings’ two term constitutional rule was expiring and no one could challenge that. This is probably because Mills obeyed his master very well so he merited that reward. Furthermore Rawlings has supported Mills at every primary to elect a presidential candidate for the NDC since then. So, the principal factor explaining why Mills is who he is in terms of politics is the Rawlings’ control of NDC. I agree that Mills is a scholar from London School of Economics-I had my master from there and I know what it means. But there are Harvard graduates who have contributed to knowledge far more than Mills has done but are lost in the crowd in Ghana. Mills is who he is in politics because of Rawlings and so Mills as he is can not rule against Rawlings’s wishes, period!

Rawlings’ and the NDC’ portrayal that Mills will be his own man should he become a president is a new game by Rawlings to gain a chance to control Ghana again. This can happen in two ways. He will control Mills should he become president. Or he will take over militarily from Mills. Rawlings has said in some occasions that coup is necessary to take over this government. (Rawlings’ strength is coup making) Tony Aidoo, his talkative, has echoed it. We risk Zimbabwe type of rule in Ghana should we vote for Mills. He tricked the Late Liman and his new game is being played to deceive Ghanaians and perhaps Mills himself.

Fellow Ghanaians, we are at a dangerous point in our political dispensation. We risk Rawlings taking over again and tyrannically ruling us and making us slaves in our own country if we do not take the appropriate action. If you allow Mills to become president, he will be like a straw in the wind in the face of Rawlings’ dictatorship-he was not his own man even when he was physically strong. Do you think Rawlings will do all the campaign for Mills to become president and have a free ride? Come on, sit up,good people of Ghana! Do not allow the mayhem propagandists, political saboteurs, confident tricksters, celebrated murderers to take over Ghana. What can you do in your own small way to prevent the leviathan of Ghana from taking over the government? Talk to somebody everyday until the run-off is held. Action is a characteristic of every success-take action today.

How can we avoid this in the current election? I appeal to president Kufour to help Nana Addo more than he did for the December 7 elections. Thanks for what you have started doing. Please be on the same platform in order to show unity which exists in NPP. Please appeal to all NPP supporters to forget about whatever has happened in the past-the situation will be worse under NDC rule but it can improve under NPP after the December 7 lessons. A billion times please, do all you can to save us from Rawlings one more time.

I also appeal to the elders of the NPP(Uncle Appia-Menkah, Mr Da-Rocha, Mr J.H Mensah etc) to come together to use their influence to save mother Ghana from the roaring lion by all fair means.

I also appeal to all the party stalwarts (Vice president Mahama, Mr McManu,Mr Allan Kyerematent,Mr Osafo Marfo, Mr Obetsebe Lamptey, Dr. Apraku etc) to put in the best and come out with the best scientific, practically workable ideas and work hard to save us from Rawlings.

Again, Mr Dan Botwe, Mr Kwabena Agyepong, Mr Mahamadu Bowomia, please go to the grass root to organise the youth to do all the necessary things to disallow the terrible terror from having us as his prey once more. Youth of Ghana, your lives are in your own hands. Do not allow the deceiver to deceive you. As the Bible says that the devil shall not deceive us because we know his ways.

We should remember what we went through under Rawlings and work out own salvation with fear and trembling as the Bible says.

If Rawlings says he will not control Professor Mills if he becomes president, I will treat it with the highest level of pyrrhonisim. Rawlings is playing a new game to take control of Ghana one more time. We must do everything fairly possible to avoid that catastrophe. Can we do it? Yes, we can!!!