Nation plunged into absolute darkness & hardship -JJ

THE FORMER Head of State, Flt. Lt. Jerry John Rawlings, has characteristically unleashed a blistering attack on President John Agyekum Kufuor and the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government calling them names.

Accusing President Kufuor of being thief, murderer, and a liar who is leading a gang of thieves, the former President stated that due to the lies and the deceptions of the current administration, the nation had been plunged into ?absolute darkness and untold economic hardships.?

Mr. Rawlings therefore, urged the electorate to use their thumbs to give a ?sack? to the ?elephant? (referring to the symbol of the NPP) into the bush where it belonged, in the December general election.

Speaking at a 6th Dukorza celebration of the chiefs and people of Frankadua in the Eastern Region last Saturday, Mr. Rawlings alleged that the NPP, having realized that they could not win the forthcoming elections, were engaged in dubious means to rig the elections.

?What I am saying is the truth. I have been saying that these people are liars, murderers, thieves and they consistently lied about us and came to power. If you lie and ascend to the throne, God will not lead you into governing the nation, you will not have his guidance and protection,? he said, sounding like a gospel minister.

?I have not insulted Mr. Kufuor. I am actually saying the truth that he is a thief and that he has stolen the state money, a murderer and I will continue to say that because I have placed my hands on the Bible, the Koran, the Antoa Nyame, the Nogokpo. I know that these gods will strike you anytime you lie, and I will continue to say that. How come that the overlords of Dagbon and 40 others will be killed in daylight and nobody is arrested and prosecuted but always use the murder of judges as political agenda?? he charged.

Mr. Rawlings started his address by posing the question: ?Is the elephant a bush animal or domestic animal?? When the crowd replied that it belonged to the wild, he retorted: ?sack them into the bush in the forthcoming elections since the elephant is not a domestic animal.?

According to him, the NPP had lied to the people and now that they had realized that the ground was not fertile for them in this year?s elections they had resorted to all forms of excuses that the NDC had plans to create chaos during the elections.

?We must not be influenced by them. I understand they have started influencing some people with money. Don?t allow yourselves to be influenced. You will regret if you are influenced. Collect the monies from them and ?chop? and when December comes, show them that they cannot buy your consciences,? he said.

He said the NPP had no sense of justice. ?I am not insulting President Kufuor.

But I am saying that they are insensitive to the plight of Ghanaians. If you don?t even have a sense of appreciation how can God provide for you?? he asked, adding, ?Let us tell them that we are also Ghanaians and that opportunity must be made available for us so that we can realize our potentials. The NPP has no respect for the conscience and sensibilities of the people. If they want to do politics and rule the nation, they should go to the opinion leaders to seek advice on how to govern this nation,? he submitted.

According to the ex-President, who is now known as ?Dr. Boom?, after the NPP had realized that they could not misuse the military to oppress the common intelligence of the people, had employed ?party police? to terrorize the citizens.

Claiming that dark clouds hung over the people and that it was only the NDC that could bring light back and restore the smiles of the people, Rawlings called on them to ensure that the NDC was voted back to power.

He dismissed allegations that the NDC had a grand design to destabilize the nation, noting that coups were relegated to the background since 1981 and that there was no way that anybody would stage coup in this country.

?President Kufuor is afraid of free and fair elections. You know, the NPP has lost their mind for a brief moment. The pain and agony in the country are too much. I look at people at the age of 25 to 30 and they look like 40 or 50 because, there is economic hardship and the people have turned into drug addicts to do away with thinking,? he asserted.

He called on the people not to engage in any violent acts that might disrupt the peace that the nation was enjoying, and said the NDC would not destabilize the nation just because it wanted power as being bandied about by the spin doctors of the NPP.

Flt. Lt. Rawlings also urged the NDC supporters and sympathizers to take this year?s election seriously to ensure that the party won.

?My brothers and sisters, seize this opportunity to vote NDC back to power. This is the last opportunity and if you fail, you will not see this opportunity again,? he told the gathering.

He said it was good that the NDC lost the previous elections to enable the good people of Ghana to judge between the two political parties, saying President Kufuor had nothing to tell the nation now because the electorate had discovered his lies and deceptions.

Other speakers included the NDC Member of Parliament for the area, Mr. Dwamena Bekoe and Mr. Doe Adjaho, MP for Ave-Avenor.