NDC can win in 2012 ....-JJ

ŒNDC CAN WIN 2012 WITH JUSTICE, NOT RAWLINGS¹

Former President Jerry John Rawlings says those who are saying the NDC cannot win the 2012 election without him must wake up to the fact that you can have justice without Rawlings and therefore win.

He said: ³If it is Rawlings we want, we cannot have Rawlings without justice. But we can have justice without Rawlings.²

Speaking during separate courtesy calls on the Regent of Gukpegu, the Dakpema of Tamale and the Kumbugu Na, former President Rawlings said some people in government had become so intoxicated with power they are convinced destroying Rawlings and his wife will help them achieve their political ambitions.

³Some of our brothers who should know better are crawling through the night spreading poison about my wife and myself. I find it most unfortunate and very disappointing. As if that was not enough now they want to take the poison to another level by creating the impression as if Rawlings is for the Andani family and they are for the Abudu family. I am sorry this is very poisonous. We should not allow this flame to grow. We should kill it.²

PROPAGANDA WAR

Former President Rawlings said there is a media propaganda war being waged that is belittling and insulting people¹s intelligence. He intimated that people are being paid to peddle falsehood on the airwaves to create confusion. Things of substance, he stated, are being made superficial.

³Sacrilege is being committed all the time. We must stop it. Let us get our senses back. I want to make it clear that the Ya Na was a chief and a man I will always recognise as the Ya Na. I did not know him as an Andani or an Abudu.

³Ever since the vicious killing of the Ya Na and 39 members of his Council I have always been calling for a proper investigation to get to the bottom of those who masterminded that heinous crime. And I have done so not because he is an Andani. I have done so because he is human and a chief that did not deserve to be killed. So whether he was an Andani or an Abudu, I would make the same call because no person, no institution has the right to commit such a crime against noble citizens of this country.

³If we allow this injustice to go unpunished by not tracking down those who masterminded it, including those who actually carried it out, it could easily happen again tomorrow and who is going to be there to fight for you? It could be an Abudu tomorrow? It may be a chief; it may not be a chief - Just because some people wanted to consolidate political power. That should not be allowed,² former President Rawlings, said.

The former President who was in the Northern Region to pay his respects to the family of the late Northern Regional Chairman of the NDC, Alhaji Sumani Zakari said he is always asking for justice because the sanctity of the right of life must be preserved. He added that without justice there would be no peace and development.

³If we allow ourselves to forget the Ya Na¹s, the Molbilla¹s, the Volta Region police officer¹s, the Roko Frimpong¹s and several others, as we have nearly done with the 34 women who were systematically murdered, it will be your turn next time. And I know we in NDC are not responsible for these nasty killings.

³If while we are in office we do not take advantage of this situation and reinvestigate properly and deal with those who masterminded it, not just the subordinate personnel that were used, then we are leaving for them the power and the right to think they can do it again. And they know itŠwe all know it. It is incumbent on us for the sake of justice. In other words if NPP were to win an election again or if NDC were to continue, none of us must have the power to think we can kill any human being and get away with it.²

REINVESTIGATION

Former President Rawlings said the failure of the government to properly reinvestigate the killings of the Kufuor regime would justify what it did and make it a natural part of the political exercise.

³Then they will do it again and they will survive by it and we would have committed a crime of not punishing and bringing them to justice and warning those who have done this that you will never do this againŠThat is why Rawlings keeps asking for it. And when I am asking for it I want it appreciated.

³Let me ask you. Do you think in a constitutional, stabilised rule, two or three ordinary corporals can get up and go to a police station and demand such a big person out of police cells into military? It cannot happen. What are those two corporals alone doing in trial? If you had reinvestigated it, you would have questioned which officer gave them the order. Then you would have asked the officer, which civilian politician gave you the order?

³However NPP did a fraudulent investigation on the Molbilla issue. The police officer that was shot in the back in the Volta regional minister¹s residence under the NPP regime is waiting for justice. When things like this happen and you go and take a corrupt investigation and you say you have sent the matter to court, these are the things that create an unholy atmosphere in our institutions. You go and take corporals and use them as pawns. You order them to commit such a heinous crime and you go and put them in court. And those who gave them the orders cannot be seen or heard of? It will begin to sow, distrust, enmity and silent rage against the senior and the officer corp. We are dealing with institutions that rely on trust and respect within the vertical command structure. So let us wake up to a serious concern.

³For almost two years now I have been calling for the establishment of committees of enquiry in every district to investigate the fraud and crimes they committed. If we cannot have that, the very least we can have is to see justice as far as the crimes to do with human violations are concerned. And human life is not a chicken¹s life to be treated like that. It is the sanctity of our life that concerns me when I keep asking these questions all the time,² the former President said.

TRUTH

Alhaji Abdulai Ziblim, Regent of Gukpegu said he was happy the former President had travelled to Tamale to mourn the death of Alhaji Zakari.

³I am also happy that you have taken it upon yourself to echo and call for true justice in the murder of the Ya Na and the 39 others.

³Your presence here has touched us since the loss of our chairman. You have the Northern Region at heart. Your coming here has demonstrated that you are a true father who cares for your people.

³Your call for justice to the Ya Na is in the right direction and I pray that people like you should always come out to speak the truth.

At the Dakpema¹s Palace, Dakpema Na Alhassan Dawuni said those who commit heinous crimes must receive capital punishment because the current punitive mechanism is not deterrent enough, citing the fact that armed robbers when arrested are fed in prison by the state. He commended former President Rawlings for always standing by the truth.

Na Dawuni called on the founder of the NDC to exercise extreme patience within the NDC machinery. The party needs peace and the country needs peace. Those who preach the truth are always attacked by a campaign of lies, he stated.

The Kumbungu-Na Na Yiri II praised the former President for always fighting for the rights of the people of the Northern Region and for instituting true democracy in Ghana. Na Yiri II said though there are enemies and obstacles in the former President¹s path he will overcome them because he always upholds the truth.

Touching on the Ya Na, the Kumbungu Na said because the late regent did not die a natural death, justice had to be done to bring the perpetrators of that dastardly act to book so peace can be guaranteed.

The former President was also commended for personally finding time to visit the victims of the Buipe floods. ³It is because you are dear to us that is why you have found time to visit the victims,² Na Yiri said.

Northern Regional Minister, Moses Mabengba, his deputy, San Nasabu Asabigi, Chief Kunkundana Yusif Salifu Abdullah and some executives of the NDC in the Northern Region accompanied the former President.

Visit President Rawlings¹ blog site - http://jjrawlings.wordpress.com