Mills handlers made me the enemy, instead of investigating Kufuor’s govt – Rawlings

Former President Jerry John Rawlings has revealed making several attempts, albeit unsuccessful, to get the Atta Mills-led administration to investigate certain “callous” actions of the Kufuor government.

Mr. Rawlings, a known critic of his successor – John Agyekum Kufuor - said the eight-year “long” rule of Mr. Kufuor was characterized by some “disgraceful things”.

Speaking at the 41st anniversary of the June 4 Revolution from his residence, to thousands of follows via social media, the former president did not state exactly the things the Kufuor’s administration did that he described as callous.

“Some of the very callous things that happened after I left office, all designed to run the face of the ship 180 degrees, disgraceful things,” he remarked, wearing an incensed look.

The former president did not also mention names of the actors of those insensitive conduct.

He, however, said all efforts to get those persons investigated were scuttled by some elements in Mills’ administration when the party won back power after the 2008 elections.

He recalled rather sadly that persons in power then, in a party he founded, rather portrayed him as the enemy of the state.

“And I kept insisting to Prof. Mills, please investigate these things; that one, this one, but no, some of his handlers decided to make a so-called enemy out of me, and rather decided to carry on that way.”

His National Democratic Congress lost power to the New Patriotic Party in 2016 with about one million votes margin.

But Mr. Rawlings suggested that the humiliation would have been worse had former president Professor John Evans Atta Mills lived to contest the 2012 general elections.

It would have been “one of the disgraceful we had ever suffered”, he said on Thursday as the handful of party leadership at the event listened soberly.

Mr. Rawlings was also not happy with “intellectuals” who appeared too quiet for his liking whilst the history of Ghana is being rewritten much to his chagrin.

The former president who was the leader of the June 4 revolution cautioned the country to avoid actions that would send Ghana back to the “difficult times” that gave birth to the 1979 uprising.

“The patriotic zeal that gave birth to June 4 is one that cannot be extinguished. Any attempt to compromise on the ideals of probity, accountability and integrity in our everyday lives is an attempt to snuff out the light that was lit 41 years ago. Let us honour the memories of those who laid down their lives liberating Ghana.”