I left Wa people united but now divided - Rawlings

Wa, Nov. 20, GNA - Former President John Rawlings on Thursday said he is not happy because he left the people Wa united but now they are divided because of chieftaincy problems.

He said: "United I left Wa people but now the people are divided because of chieftaincy and I am not happy about that. Whatever the problem might be, they should come to consensus and address their differences amicably", Former President Rawlings advised. Addressing supporters and members of the NDC in Wa at separate forums on Thursday, Former President Rawlings urged them to vote the NDC into office to restore the lost freedom and Justice that people need. "Let all Ghanaians decide to stay at a place of truth, and that place of truth is the NDC", he said and added that the New Patriotic Party (NPP) had never presided over a united people with a common sense of purpose.


Former President Rawlings advised Wa citizens not to allow anyone to take advantage of the chieftaincy divide to cause troubles because such situations set the clock of development backward. He urged traditional rulers, imams and all those, who are stakeholders in the Wa chieftaincy divide, to come together and revoke the laws that had prevented them from rehabilitating the Wa-Na's palace and rebuild the palace for the sake of their children. "The palace serves as a symbol of your embodiment and your history is in the palace and we must not allow it to be destroyed", Former President Rawlings pleaded.


He told the people that Ghana would have been a paradise if the NPP administration had not abandoned the development plans of equity and equality that the NDC implemented in the country.


Former President Rawlings said the NPP had done a lot of damage to the socio-economic structures of the country and that had brought hardships, suffering and hopelessness to the people.


He called himself a clean person because he did not take a dime or pin from the state coffers. He said he handed over power to the NPP in a clean and just manner but expressed regret that corruption and injustice that should have been seen as a criminal act had become practices of the day in the NPP governance era.

Former President Rawlings acknowledged that during the PNDC/NDC rule, education was not entirely free but that parents were able to educate their children to the university level. He said the NPP claimed basic education is free but parents are unable to educate their children at the universities because of high fees and wondered the type of future the youth would be without education.


He said the NDC government brought electricity to the North to improve the lives of the people but today people in the north could no longer enjoy lights because of high tariffs.


Former President Rawlings called on the people in the three northern regions not to feel intimidated but to turn-out massively to vote for the NDC come December 7, 2008 because the party would restore justice, equality, equity and development.


He said Ghana does not belong to him nor for President Kufuor, instead the authority rested with the people because the destiny of the country was in their hands to decide which direction they want the country to go.


Former President Rawlings was met at Bamahu by large droves of supporters, who ushered him into Wa around 1900 hours on Wednesday.