Elderly statesman Dr Nyaho Nyaho-Tamakloe has dismissed claims linking him to the death of former President Jerry John Rawlings, describing the allegations as false and deliberately fabricated.
Speaking about the incident on GhanaWeb’s The Lowdown with Etsey Atisu, Dr Nyaho-Tamakloe recounted how he first became aware of the allegations shortly after Rawlings’ death.
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He explained that a journalist visited him early in the morning with a message circulating at the time.
“I remember a few hours after the passing on of Jerry John Rawlings, early in the morning, I had a visit from a journalist. He came, opened his phone and I have it on my phone right now. It's almost five years now,” he said.
Detailing the contents of the message, he noted that it falsely portrayed him as Rawlings’ personal physician who attended to him during his illness.
He said the message further claimed that he recommended Rawlings be transferred to Nyaho Clinic, a suggestion allegedly opposed by his late wife, Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings.
“Reading it [message on the phone], it had been stated there clearly that I was Rawlings’ physician and that when he fell ill, I was called, went to his house to have a look at him and I suggested that he should be moved to Nyaho Clinic and the wife, late Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings, I regret strongly that that lady is no more, particularly because of this story; the wife disagreed with me that Rawlings should be moved to Korle Bu,” he narrated.
Dr Nyaho-Tamakloe stressed that the entire narrative was fabricated and urged the public to question the motive behind such claims.
“These are claims. I'm talking about claims. None of what I have said so far is true, so you have to ask yourself. Why should a group of people formulate such a thing? They have a reason,” he said.
He added that the message also alleged that doctors from Korle Bu Teaching Hospital were sent by then-President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to assist in Rawlings’ care, a claim he described as equally false.
Expressing his reaction to the allegations, Dr Nyaho Nyaho-Tamakloe said he felt deeply disturbed after reading the message.
“Then within a short time, two doctors came from Korle Bu to join me in looking after Rawlings and the doctors allegedly are said to have been sent by Akufo-Addo. So, when I read it, I felt so bad and very sad,” he stated.
To verify the claims, he said he immediately contacted a relative who was then managing Nyaho Clinic to check hospital records.
He explained that the checks confirmed that Rawlings had never been admitted to the facility.
“So, right in front of the journalist, I called my cousin who was then running Nyaho Clinic… go through our records… Find out if somewhere along the line he has been brought there… He came back and told me that there's nothing like that,” he stated.
According to him, the journalist advised him to respond quickly as the claims had already gained international attention.
He noted that people from across the world even reached out to him following the circulation of the story.
“So, the journalist advised that I should respond immediately because this has gone all over the world and it's true. People called me as far as from Australia,” he revealed.
Dr Nyaho-Tamakloe firmly denied ever serving as Rawlings’ doctor or attending to him in any medical capacity.
He emphasised that he had never even visited Rawlings’ residence.
“Now, what I have narrated to you is a complete fallacy. Lies. I have never been Rawlings’ doctor, I've never been to Rawlings residence; never ever and this is a fact,” he stressed.
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Reiterating his position, he stated unequivocally that he had no involvement in Rawlings’ medical care.
“I have not even given Rawlings any attention in an emergency case as a doctor… So, I ask myself, who can falsify such a thing?” he questioned.
MAG/AE
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