I wasn’t recruited as 'baby with sharp teeth' – Ablakwa  

Member of Parliament for North Tongu constituency in the Volta Region, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has also denied being recruited and groomed to attack the founder of the NDC during the Atta Mills’ administration.

A section of the book, “Working with Rawlings”, authored by National Democratic Congress (NDC) kingpin, Professor Kwamena Ahwoi, claims that the former deputy Education minister for Education, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, was among a group of young politicians, who were purposely engaged by him and others to respond to and “talk back” at former President Rawlings for the latter’s attacks on the personality of the late President of Ghana, His Excellency John Evans Fiifi Atta Mills.

The lawmaker who seemed peeved with the claims by Professor Kwamena Ahwoi in the book, says the claims are false, malicious, offensive and most unfair.

Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa noted that he has a mind of my own and he is not one to be “recruited” to say or do what he does not believe in or consider dishonourable.

“For the record, I have at no time been drafted to “talk back” at the Founder of the NDC, Former President Jerry John Rawlings neither have I needed prodding to defend the unblemished record and exemplary virtues of the iconic Asomdweehene – Prof. John Evans Atta Mills, particularly, having been spurred on at all times by unwavering personal conviction added to the fact that I had a responsibility to serve as Deputy Minister for Information at the time and for which I had amongst others, the core duty to defend and protect the image of the government”, he said in a statement.

Read the full statement below:

FOR THE RECORD

It has become necessary to react to vilifications targeted at my person and other young members of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) as a consequence of portions and misleading interpretations by sections of the media and the public of the book titled: Working with Rawlings as authored by NDC stalwart, Professor Kwamena Ahwoi.

The claim by several media reportage that some of my colleagues and I were “recruited and groomed to attack the founder of the NDC during the Atta Mills’ administration” are false, malicious, offensive and most unfair. It is worth pointing out that the media renditions are not contained in the aforementioned book.

Respectfully, I am an avowed devotee of the politics of principle and conviction. I have a mind of my own and I  am not one to be “recruited” to say or do what I do not believe in or consider dishonourable.

For the record, I have at no time been drafted to “talk back” at the Founder of the NDC, Former President Jerry John Rawlings neither have I needed prodding to defend the unblemished record and exemplary virtues of the iconic Asomdweehene – Prof. John Evans Atta Mills, particularly, having been spurred on at all times by unwavering personal conviction added to the fact that I had responsibility to serve as Deputy Minister for Information at the time and for which I had amongst others, the core duty to defend and protect the image of the government.

In more than a decade of public life, the reverence and respect I have for our elders and forebears within and without the NDC cannot be questioned. I have always been greatly indebted to our venerable elders for their generous wise counsel and mentorship in shaping my career.

Everything within me abhors the politics of insults and denigrating our elders knowing that affronts our much cherished traditions. Indeed, the distinguished author himself acknowledges at page 211 that in speaking for Prof. Mills, we did not resort to insults but logic.

I am in politics for the pursuit of nobler and higher objectives; that in our collective struggles we can build for ourselves a fair, just and egalitarian society. We cannot waste precious time on anything to the contrary.

It is instructive to note that the malicious interpretation of page 211 cannot be reconciled with page 179 where the author concedes that long before Prof. Mills won the 2008 election and therefore much earlier than the erroneous claim of a 2010 “recruitment” –  “a pro-Mills group of talented youthful intellectuals and activists emerged. They were dedicated to upholding the attributes and promoting the values of Professor Mills and defending him against vicious and unprovoked attacks.”

Let the younger ones coming after us not be misled by the rather unfounded aspersions and innuendos in media circles and elsewhere to assume that there’s any glory in lending themselves to conspiracies targeted at disrespecting or disparaging the elders of this Republic.

Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa

[MP, North Tongu]

Issued in Accra on the 5th of August, 2020

Ghana | Atinkaonline.com | Vivian Adu Boatemaa