NDC Holds Crunch Meeting... Over Rawlings

Snippets of information filtering into the office of the Ghanaian Observer (GO) newspaper indicate that last Wednesday’s outburst and series of allegations leveled against some members of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) and top government officials by the Party’s founder, former President Jerry John Rawlings has forced the Party’s executive to arrange for a crisis meeting next week, likely on Tuesday, to deliberate on the issues raised.

According to GO’s sources, almost all the top executives of the Party are expected to meet in Accra to discuss and address the various issues raised against certain members of the party and government officials by Mr. Rawlings. “Rawlings is our founder and therefore when he raises concerns of this nature, there is no way we will sit down unconcerned. Although the meeting will touch on other issues, the main focus will be on Mr. Rawlings’ concerns,” GO gathered.

Mr. Rawlings had said in strong worded press statement that he personally signed that some senior officials among the NDC executive accompanied by other misguided persons from the Presidency are travelling from region to region using the powers of the Executive to indulge in dishonest and dishonourable behaviour by summoning party executives, telling stories, spreading falsehood and promising them vehicles, motorbikes, cash, jobs and rewards.

According to him, while an impression is being created of a government desperate to create an image of unity, these tours are used to malign and cast aspersions at people, especially Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings and himself. “Let me remind all concerned that we won all our elections and survived some of the most trying times of our nation’s history for as long as we did, bringing hope and relief to our people because of NDC’s values and principles. Abandoning these values will not only spell the doom of the government but the hopes and aspirations of our people,”

Mr. Rawlings, added “I am making a strong call to our party executives and supporters in the regions, constituencies, towns, villages and hamlets not to fall victim to the lies, financial and material promises being made by such dishonest elements.” The reluctance of the government to institute credible and transparent investigations into the fraud and political killings, which were the benchmark of the Kufuor regime, he said, is leading to a sense of hopelessness, indifference and indiscipline.“As a people we suffered serious violations of our dignity under the previous regime and the reluctance of the government to tackle these is what is leading to the clear discontent within the party and the nation at large.

There is nothing divisive about speaking the truth,” he maintained. “Some of these party officials, advisors and power mongers hovering around the presidency have lost touch with the reality on the ground. Some of these stories and promises are not only absurd but are an insult to their intelligence. Those living the reality on the ground should not allow themselves to be misused.” The NDC founder said “we have allowed the mass of political testosterone that swirled around the NDC victory to evaporate. We have allowed the audacity to defy irresponsible and wrongful behaviour from above to dissipate. We have again failed to investigate the electoral fraud that saw the stuffing and replacement of ballot boxes; we have failed to correct or punish where necessary the NPP’s politicization, tribalism and victimisaiton of persons especially in the security serves and allowed the status quo to fester into a malignant tumour.” “What has sustained some of us is our attachment to the principles of truth, just and fair play - it is not a vulgar quest for materialism, a trait better epitomised by the Kufuor regime but which has sadly been endorsed by people now masquerading as diehard NDC followers,” he said. “For the NDC to stay strong and closer to the masses who made the party what it is, we owe them a responsibility to defend their God-given right to fulfill their aspirations.”

In conclusion, Mr. Rawlings asked; “Do I have a problem with President Mills? Yes I do – His refusal to pursue the moral mandate of the people to reinstate truth, transparency and most of all justice into the fabric and psyche of the nation. This is leading to the institutionalization of crime and corruption. Justice will be deformed.”