Rawlings Criticizes NPP's 'Pervasive Corruption'

JJ moans about scant coverage for Mills and corruption in NPP

Former President Rawlings, who is currently on campaign tour in the northern part of the Western Region, has stated that he would find it very difficult to sit down unconcerned when the progress of this country is being reversed by the NPP administration with corruption so pervasive.

According to him after being in power for almost 20 years he needed a long rest but the injustices and deceit being perpetrated by the current government would not allow him to do so.

Speaking at the various durbars organised in his honour at Bekwai, Chirano, Anhweaso, Bibiani and Awaso last Tuesday, former President Rawlings said the NPP was afraid of losing this year's elections because of their sordid record after ruling the country for the last four years.

According to him, whilst in power for almost 20 years as head of state, it never occurred to him to steal money from state coffers and stash it away in foreign lands but today this is exactly what was going on.

He noted that the (P)NDC government which he headed provided honest leadership and that was why he survived for the almost 20 years that he ruled this county but the same could not be said of today.

Rawlings said the NPP was aware of his clean record and the consequences of them losing the election adding that the party was moving heaven and earth to rig the elections in their favour knowing very well that they were going to loose.

In furtherance of these objectives, Jerry Rawlings said the NPP had started stockpiling ammunition and also the training of party police for possible violence after the December 7 election and despite that Prof. Mills would win.

He called on the chiefs and their subjects to safeguard the democracy that we were enjoying and not allow anybody or group of people whether in power or not to take the democracy away from them.

The former president advised the youth not to allow themselves to be misused for the evil assignment of creating confusion in the country after the election since those who were going to use them had already got diplomatic passports and would fly away from the country in case our peace was disturbed.

Jerry Rawlings called for total rejection of the NPP in the December polls and assured that the people's power that had been stolen away from Ghanaians would be back, if Prof. Mills was elected into office as president in January next year.

He also called on the electorate not to sell their conscience and voter slips for money as information reaching him indicated that NPP was going round the country buying voter slips and also pumping money here and there all in their desperate attempt to win the elections.

Rawlings also charged the people to monitor ballot papers on the polling day and make sure that decisions taken at the polling stations prevails and are not tampered with since the NPP was bent on rigging the elections.

The ex-president also expressed his disappointment about the inadequate coverage of Prof. Mills' campaign by the Ghana Television. He said when he was President, the then opposition leader, Mr. John Agyekum Kufuor, was given all the chance he needed to sell his message to Ghanaians but Prof. Mills had not been accorded the same opportunity.

Accompanying the former president on the Sefwi tour were Nana Alex Asamoah, regional chairman of the NDC who has now resurfaced after months in the political wilderness, Hon. Seidu Paaku Adamu, MP for Bibiani Anhweaso Bekwai and a host of others.