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Opinions of Monday, 19 December 2016

Columnist: Abdul-Kahar Adam

No single blame should even be directed at Jerry John Rawlings

Former President, Flt Lt Jerry John RawlingsFormer President, Flt Lt Jerry John Rawlings

It is shocking for people who have failed JM to turn their fingers and pointing at the founder of the party. It is wrong and irresponsible for any member of our party (NDC) to do or say such thing. People who were surrounding JM, thought they have it all and that they can always win without the Rawlings’s and so why now blaming him the founder who has rather given the party strong advises and wake up calls but he was always mocked at.

As the adage goes, “you cannot eat your cake and have it again.” Imagine the people that President John Mahama trusted make him to run the campaign by saying that he is next to Dr. Kwame Nkrumah in terms of infrastructure.

But was this not wrong when CPP is Nkrumah’s Party or were they thinking that the ideals of CPP are also the ideals of NDC. How can this work and it was not a very good communication because it has conflicts of misinformation and cannot be trusted by listeners.

One would have thought that the JM infrastructural development would have carry a campaign message like JM has increased the infrastructural development in terms of quality and expansion as a continuation from where Papa J as the first President of the Fourth Republic did before he ended his turner in office as the father of NDC.

The founders name has never being promoted and how can you blame him. No proper recognition has been given to him by some top members surrounding JM as a President and so why mentions his name after causing the mess.

I am sorry to say that, a father is a father and since Papa J is our founder of the NDC, he would continue to be the father. It is time we start or continue to respect him, listen to him and always know that the NDC is linked to the Rawlings’s and nobody can take that name away.

It is based on such name and ideals that we can always propagate at all times even after his death. We cannot replace that name with any other name. People can only come and serve in the name for further prosperity of the party NDC.

Therefore, let us all start respecting our father, JJ Rawlings as our father of the party without breaking that chain again. This thing started from the Ex-President Mills time, may his soul rest in peace, and we have never had total unity because some people were opportunist and therefore, after assuming the top positions of the party decided to work against the founder of the party even up to the point of insulting him in the media.

Let us see the Rawlings as a symbol or jargon of the part NDC and not that some people to see it as jealousy because the party is for our Papa J. No the party is for all of us but he is the father of the NDC and nobody can take that away.

So next time if we have a leader for the party we should not just try to use that person as if that leader of the party is the father or owner of the party. It is always a matter of time such as this defeat we have conceded.

Papa J, we/I can never forget your hard work and ideals for the NDC. Your name will forever be written in the party songs and slogans. A word to the wise is enough. Thank you all. Hope we will listen and respect our elders.