Gov't to Nail Rawlings

Exclusive information reaching the Ghanaian Observer (GO) newspaper indicates that, in the next few days, Government will be making available to the diplomatic, business and international community a heavy dossier on seditious statements made by former President Jerry John Rawlings in the last seven years alone.

The move, GO gathered, is Government's way of informing those communities where to look, "should any unfortunate explosions of violence before, during or after the elections occur." But Government, also by that move, aims at notifying the international community that it will not relent in its duties in security the nation before and after the crucial elections, GO was told. The dossier will entail 'hard' evidence, including newspaper cuttings, footages and sound-bites that carry material intended to incite people against individual appointees in Government, the State, particularly agencies such as the Armed Forces and the Police Service, as well as material intended by Rawlings at fanning ethnic sentiments.

The move has become necessary, in the light of the increasing levels of threat to peace and stability in the country in the run-up to the December 2008 Presidential elections. A high ranking officer at the Ministry of Interior has described as clear indications of the leadership of the National Democratic Congress to set up parallel security systems to decide State security issues, even when there is a State machinery in place.

Specific cases cited by GO sources as worthy of note by the international community is the last year Africa Day forum in the Netherlands, where Rawlings was heckled by a young lady moderator for spending way past the allotted time given him to make a speech; and another public programme in Europe in which a daughter of the late General Akwasi Amankwaa Afrifa accused the ex-President, of murder and called for his arrest by British Police.

Rawlings had in both instances not only made sadist and sarcastic references to the execution of Ghanaian military generals, but sullied the image of Government by leveling tons of unfounded accusations against the John Agyekum Kufuor administration, without providing evidence.

"The dossier will also include statements made in Nigeria and South Africa, all not only justifying the slaughter of the Generals but inciting the international community and citizens of Ghana against the ruling Government, including unfounded allegations about Kufuor's politicization of the Armed Forces by appointing tribesmen to key sensitive positions." That is aside other "scurrilous statements" made here on our soil, which clearly points to an agenda by Rawlings and his NDC to incite some ethnic groupings against others, particularly Ewes against Akans," according to our sources.

His persistent calls to the Police and Armed Forces to arrest Kufuor, including this latest one in which he said he could not understand why it is normal for police to arrest armed robbers, but unconstitutional, if he Rawlings urges the police, with the support of the Armed Forces, to remove a corrupt Government, sources said, will all be covered in the dossier. His meeting with his former security capos, after the tamale-Gushiegu incident as well as Mills' private security operatives scuffle with the State security operatives of Kufuor during the Oguaa Fetu Afahye festival two weeks ago, will be featured.