Rawlings Can Be Of "Nuisance Value"

Alfred Ogbamey, Managing Editor of the defunct Gye Nyame Concord and Human Rights activist, has cautioned the leadership of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to think twice about sanctioning its Founder, Jerry John Rawlings, since he (Rawlings) can sometimes be of "extreme nuisance value".

Mr Ogbamey, who accused the former President of indulging in politics of opportunism, said his (Rawlings) recent behavior and utterances, smacks of someone looking out for a situation that will favour him and ‘jump at it’.

His comments follow recent going-ons between the NDC and the former President.

Mr Rawlings, has never cease to slam leadership of the party he founded describing some as "greedy bastards", "babies with sharp teeth" and "same old evil dwarfs".

He was even at the National Delegates' Congress of the National Democratic Party (NDP), where his wife, Nana Konadu was endorsed as flagbearer of the breakaway party.

But perhaps what surprised most political pundits was the warm reception he accorded flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Addo Danquah Akufo Addo, when he paid a courtesy call on him at his Ridge residence.

The Senior Journalist believes Mr Rawlings is playing his cards in such a way that should either the NDP, NDC or NPP win, he (Rawlings) will not be on the losing side.

“Within the past week, he has met with Nana Addo, he has stood on his wife’s platform to declare that the NDC will lose in certain strongholds by the (emergence) of the NDP and then within the same week, he has said in an interview with Citi FM that President Mahama can win the elections. One can wonder what is wrong with the former president. The answer is simple… he is playing a simple game; he wants to be in the good books of whoever will win. As for his wife he knows she will not win but she is his wife.

"…he sees the possibility of Nana Addo winning…he wants to cause real revolution; seize the NDC party when it goes into opposition and be able to deal with those he feels treated him unfairly. There is also a possibility that John Mahama will win so he is on good terms with him (Mahama). Whiles attacking the NDC, he is still maintaining a cordial relationship between himself and John Mahama...He wants to be a winning candidate otherwise how do you interpret what is happening. He is looking at his interest,” Alfred Ogbamey posited during a panel discussion on Peace FM’s morning show, ‘Kokrokoo’.

Commenting on alleged reports that the NDC is considering ousting the founder of the party following his presence at the NDP congress grounds and comments he made at the function, Alfred Ogbamey opined that that will be a bad decision, because Mr Rawlings can be of "extreme nuisance value".

“… it makes sense to have Rawlings who is inactive than Rawlings who is active against you because Rawlings' value is not in what he says, but is in the nuisance value. He can be of an extreme nuisance value. It is unreasonable to do such an act. If they don’t handle this matter well so far as the former president is concerned, it will be an albatross around their neck…” he said.