Calling me hypocrite sounds like your baseless insult – Rawlings to Kufuor

Former President Jerry John Rawlings has said he would be stating facts about the nature of his successor, John Agyekum Kufuor, if he were to describe him as a hypocrite or with some other adjectives relating to Kufuor's character defects.

Rawlings explained that Kufuor calling him "hypocrite" sounds like the typical baseless insults he receives from his colleague former president.

Mr Rawlings in a tweet on his official twitter handle, stated that he finds it ridiculous and malicious on the part of John Kufuor to characterize his efforts to exercise politeness and keep the peace as being hypocritical.

“You should be grateful for the excessive tolerance of Ghanaians and the poor quality of justice in our society, which has allowed some big men like you to walk free,” the tweet read on.

He noted that former President Kufuor draws some sympathy from Ghanaians even when he [Rawlings] is being truthful about some of Kufuor's rot in the country, that notwithstanding, he “cannot be silent knowing where, when and how the rot started.”

The former military leader reiterated that he would have been allies with Kufuor if he had the character traits of how Rev. Ministers can out of courtesy relate to his kind in public. For “being civil is one thing. Being hypocritical is something else.”

Background

JJ Rawlings had earlier accused JA Kufuor of being responsible for the perennial floods in Accra.

According to him, Kufuor left a legacy of impunity which has encouraged individuals to indiscriminately site buildings in waterways.

“The Kufuor one, those Villagio villages and those things built in waterways...so if he can do it why can’t others do it...build their houses and factories on the southern side of the motorway where it blocks the waterway,” furious Rawlings quizzed last Thursday, when the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) paid a courtesy call on him.

Dr Kwabena Osei Adubofour, the spokesperson for Mr Kufuor dismissed the claims that his boss supervised the building of hotels and luxury apartments in waterways and described Mr Rawlings as a hypocrite.

He said once there is a department that is mandated to do that job, if any individual or business entity is able to get a permit to put up whatever building, it is not for Mr Kufuor to answer.

He then took a swipe at Mr Rawlings, claiming he should be the last person to speak about integrity.

“He [Rawlings] talks about integrity? You know that is like the pot calling the kettle black…He is the last person to talk about integrity,” Mr Kufuor’s spokesperson said in an interview.

President JAK, I’ve been advised to ignore you and let you be because no matter how truthful what I say may be, it rather draws some sympathy for you… pic.twitter.com/6Vi4ySndi4

— Jerry John Rawlings (@officeofJJR) November 4, 2019