I hate ‘hero worship’; Valerie Sawyerr did well criticising Rawlings – Obed Asamoah

A former National Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Dr Obed Yao Asamoah says he hates hero worship as some people only aim pleasing others and has therefore congratulated Dr. Valerie Sawyerr for criticising the former President Jerry John Rawlings for not being intimidated by others.

He indicated that he sent a congratulatory text message to Dr. Sawyerr for speaking her mind and was not surprised about the article she wrote attacking JJ Rawlings.

Dr. Asamoah disclosed this in an interview with Emefa Apawu of JoyNews and also urged Ghanaians to speak their minds on issues irrespective of the person at the centre of the issue.

“Everybody is in good standing to criticise. That has always been my philosophy, that anybody should have the freedom to speak his mind and people shouldn’t just worship people just because they happen to be Mr A or Mr B. I mean I really hate hero worship particularly when it goes to the extent of ignoring the faults of the person and the mistakes of the person. That, I can’t stand that”.

“In fact, I congratulated her, I sent a text message congratulating her for speaking her mind. I think it is very good for the party and good for the country. People should speak up their minds, they shouldn’t be intimidated by anybody or terrorised by anybody. She's spoken her mind and she is entitled to do so”, he disclosed.

Asked if the way Dr Sawyerr dealt with Rawlings frontally in the article was the best, Dr Asamoah said he also dealt with JJ Rawlings frontally too, “we are in the same boat.”

Dr Sawyer, a Deputy Chief of Staff under former President John Mahama, blamed the NDC defeat in the 2016 election to Mr Rawlings and Amidu's outbursts at the John Mahama led government.

In the article widely circulated, the environmental consultant said the NDC founder sees nothing good in anyone but himself.

“They say he booms [but] I say he buzzes…like an agitated mosquito…looking for his next victim,” she wrote about Mr Rawlings.

Dr Sawyer also vented her anger on former Attorney-General, Martin Amidu, saying his “pomposity, over-bloated ego and sense of self-importance” will lead to his downfall. “I am not a soothsayer, neither am I a harbinger of gloom and doom…but once again I say to you…this time with a nation full of witnesses…that your Achilles heel will destroy you,” she said.

The former A-G has reacted to the statements made against him by Dr Sawyer. He said the former deputy Chief of Staff authored her article as though she was under the influence of alcohol.