Rawlings calls on government to wake up to responsibilities

Accra, Feb. 22, GNA - Former President Jerry John Rawlings on Monday called on the Mills Administration to either wake up to their responsibilities or risk losing the 2012 General Election.

"The Mills administration and the security agencies need to do better than they are doing now, otherwise the 2012 general elections will elude us," he said, when Dr Ahmed Mustapha, Member of Parliament for East Ayawaso, led a delegation of chiefs and party members to sympathize with the former first family for losing their house and property to fire.

The former President also criticized the government for not acting swiftly to ascertain the cause of fire outbreaks at the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Information and other important places that had been gutted by fire.

He said he was surprised to hear that Nana Darkwa Bafi, an activist of the New Patriotic Party, had suggested on an Accra radio station that he could be responsible for the burning of his own house.

"The boy went on air to say all these to confuse the public on the cause of the fire and may God forgive him. How can I intentionally burn my own house to kill my wife and daughter?"

Former President Rawlings said documents and things lost through the fire outbreak were more enormous than the structure and cautioned the public against making unfounded allegations when the security were yet to come out with their findings.

He called on the security agencies to adopt measures that would prevent the public from taking the law into their own hands as that had the potential of destabilizing the country.

Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings, the former first lady, said although the family was aware of the freedoms that Ghanaians wielded in respect of their constitutional rights, such freedoms should go alongside responsibilities to protect total human rights.

He said the National Democratic Congress (NDC) was a serious party and would not engage itself in issues such as killing, stealing and other negative activities that would make life uncomfortable for Ghanaians. Dr Mustapha called for unity among the rank and file of the Party as that was necessary for them to win 2012 elections and retain power. The Member of Parliament, who also donated assorted soft drinks and a ram to the former first family, called on party members not to engage themselves in issues that would spark violence and chaos.