NPP MP: Rawlings wants to divert attention from economic woes

A former Deputy Finance Minister under Kufuor’s government, Kwaku Agyeman Manu, has described as ridiculous, comments by former President Jerry Rawlings that the redenomination of the cedi under his successor’s administration is to blame for the current economic crisis the country is going through.

According to him, the former president has little understanding of the word redenomination, thus, he [Rawlings] should be pardon for making such comments. He stressed that such utterances should not have even come from an ex-president who did virtually nothing for a country he ruled for over 19 years.

The former minister, who is currently the Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), opined that, whiles measures are being taking to solve the bedridden economy under President Mahama, “ex-president Rawlings wants to divert attention by rather attacking Kufuor [ex-president]”.

Former President John Jerry Rawlings in a speech to mark 35 years of the June 4 uprising at the Revolution Square, Wednesday, noted that, Ghana’s ill economy now is as a result of some initiatives by ex-president Kufuor. He [Rawlings] blamed the current economic crisis on the decision by the Kufuor government to redenominate the country’s currency in 2007.

He also challenged the New Patriotic Party [NPP] to declare what it did with the old currency after it was phased out. Adding that, Kufour’s government then was corrupt.

But speaking on Oman FM, Mr. Kwaku Agyeman Manu, who played a major role in the redenomination as a deputy finance minister says the ‘Boom man’ [ex-president Rawlings] to be ignored for making such “childish comment”.

“He [Rawlings] shouldn’t have come out to even make such comments,” he said.

Adding that, “Rawlings did nothing for this country. He only enjoyed the praises after the killing of some Ghanaians during his tenure. I don’t even know what to tell that man [Rawlings]. Rawlings should rather address issues and the hardship we [Ghanaians] are facing now instead of attacking individuals”.