Rawlings’ conscience has been bought - Rtd Major Oduro

A leading member of the opposition New Patriotic Party has openly wondered at the sudden volte-face of ex-President Jerry John Rawlings’s disposition towards the Mahama-led National Democratic Congress (NDC) administration.

The Member of Parliament on the ticket of NPP for the people of Nkoranza North, Major (Rtd) Derek Oduro believes Mr Rawlings’ conscience has been bought hence his loud silence over incidents of corrupt acts allegedly recorded under the current administration.

It has almost become a cliché that former President Jerry John Rawlings has taken it upon himself to always beat the anti-corruption war drums, criticizing past governments save his administration for their little or no role played in the fight against the canker.

The former military leader and founder of the ruling NDC, in his latest rant against perceived corruption that occurred under the erstwhile Kufuor administration, also justified why in the 1970s, he killed some former leaders suspected to be corrupt.

“We had no choice. We thought let two go. Acheampong and a certain Utuka, very corrupt Generals. They were sacrificed. It was not enough. Ladies and gentlemen, 10 days later, we had to sacrifice another 6 and some of the Commanders were innocent good people but it had to be done because the rage in the country was too high, too much,” he justified.

Former President Rawlings also described his immediate successor as an “autocratic thief” who “stole massively” while in office between 2001 and 2008. He further claimed that the high level of corruption in the Fourth Republic started under Kufuor and was institutionalized by the late President Atta Mills.

“When we won in 2008, the country was so poised to see that the injustices, the corruption and what nots was dealt with, in order to right the tree of justice. Mills refused to do it…Mills…Mills refused to do it. And that was the beginning of the true destruction of the moral fibre of this country. In spite of his holiness, his refusal to investigate and to deal with the crimes of the Kufuor regime is what led finally to the institutionalization of corruption in this country,” Rawlings lamented.

He however stopped short of directing his arsenals at the current government.

“When people get up, they wanna create the impression to you the young ones as if the corruption started with this man, the young man, John Mahama, no; it started with Kufuor and that’s why I said Kufuor was an autocratic thief,” the former military leader told students in the Volta region where he spoke as the Guest of honor at the closing ceremony of the regional camp of the International Youth Fellowship at the Adidome Senior High School.

But speaking to the issue on Hot Fm, the NPP MP accused Mr Rawlings of closing his eyes to the corruption being perpetrated by the current government because of financial inducements from the Mahama administration. To him, the worst form of corruption is when a statesman allows evil to triumph by keeping mum over fraudulent acts.

“…Mahama’s government is surrounded with corruption but Rawlings has kept quiet about it. Is he (Rawlings) not corrupt, that because of his benefit from Mahama government, he rather turned his armor of vilification to the camp of his successor, former President Kufuor? The biggest form of corruption a statesman can be is to keep quiet about corrupt activities of a government due to his selfish interest,” he opined.