Name 'monkeys and baboons' in party - Former NDC Vice Chair dares Rawlings

A former vice chairman of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Alhaji Sani Mohammed is daring the founding father of his party, former President Jerry John Rawlings to come out to name the baboons and monkeys in the party.

According to him, former President Rawlings should show the monkeys in the party who are working for the baboons in the party to enjoy as his statement was vague to understand.

Former President Rawlings addressing party supporters at Ashaiman to mark the party’s Silver Jubilee said that his party has reduced to the point where “monkey dey work and baboon dey chop”.

He added that the current leaders of the NDC have thrown away the values of probity and accountability on which the party was formed and rather have allowed corruption to take over.

But reacting on Asempa FM’s 'Eko Si Sen', Alhaji Sani demanded former President Rawlings to exercise some restrains in his utterances as everybody in NDC has the interest of the party at heart, even though some of the executives abused the power given them and turned it into arrogance.

He insisted that Mr. Rawlings cannot brand everyone in the party as corrupt when a handful of the people are involved in corruption; thus, the party cannot even throw away the corruptible ones as no one is perfect.

“We cannot crucify our own people publicly and disgrace them all the time. He was addressing equally grownups and responsible people like himself and so he should know how to talk to us and not cross certain lines,” he slammed.

To him, Rawlings should not express shock the defeat the NDC suffered in the hands of NPP as he kept saying NDC is corrupt; thus, Ghanaians bought his clarion call and voted out the NDC from power.

He however pressed on Rawlings to explain to the NDC faithful the kind of work he [Rawlings] did for President Akufo-Addo which made the President to thank him and his wife when he was elected into office.

“We are not even complaining why Nana Addo thanked you and your wife after winning the election. What did you do for him before he thanked you? This means you helped him politically; we don’t do that,” he charged.

“Do you know too much complains amount to hatred? So the complains are enough and let’s move forward, but if he continues to talk, I form a different opinion about him. He should leave NDC alone for us; the party doesn’t belong to him,” he jabbed.

He reminded former President Rawlings that majority shareholders of the NDC are the party foot soldiers and that he is not only the founding father of NDC as founding fathers are found in every district of Ghana.

Even though it is in NDC constitution that Mr. Rawlings is the founding father, Alhaji Sani insisted he [Rawlings] needs other founding fathers to make him complete; however, it was a requirement for registering the party under a name.

Touch on Rawlings’ “Monkey dey work, Baboon dey chop” comment, Alhaji Sani again reminded the former President that many have served the NDC to death without getting anything out of it.

“They didn’t get anything out of it and so if you stand somewhere to say “monkey dey work, Baboon dey chop”, then I will ask you who is the monkey and who is the baboon? He should explain further because his children schooled abroad and he failed to show us the person who sponsored their education while some of us, our children couldn’t complete school at “Site O” level; and then who is the Monkey and the Baboon? Who is working and who is chopping?” he quizzed.