'Rawlings indispensable' – Lecturer

Former President Rawlings is an important personality who cannot be banished or ostracized by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) if the party wants to make gains, Senior Lecturer at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Dr Samuel Adu-Gyamfi, has said.

He is of the strong view that: “Former President Rawlings is an indispensable factor so far as the NDC is concerned.”

Mr Rawlings, in a recent interview, described individuals in the party who oppose him as people who “lack integrity”. This was after former Deputy Chief of Staff under the Ex-President Mahama’s administration, Dr Valerie Sawyerr, described Mr Rawlings as being far from an angel because elements of corruption existed under his leadership so he should stop portraying himself as an angel.

For Dr Adu-Gyamfi, Mr Rawlings’ comments need not be swept under the carpet because to him, Mr Rawlings is the founder of the party and understands the ideological foundations that really support the structure of the party’s best.

“I do not think any other individual within the party understands the philosophy of the NDC than Ex-President Rawlings himself,” he underscored in an interview with Joy FM’s Emefa Apawu on Thursday, August 17.

He said the party has undergone various evolving phases which is essential for the emergence of a class that will outlive Ex-President Rawlings and all others with dissenting opinions. However, Mr Rawlings is not wrong in his comments about corruption.

“Is it not the case that the NDC lost the elections because of either the truth of the element of corruption or the degree of perception of corruption that people have about the NDC was so high that they would want a different government that will have less or no corruption?” he questioned.

He added, “Mr Rawlings himself will not feel that he is the only one in the NDC who has integrity. As the party organizes its efforts to recapture power in 2020, the view of the Ex-President should not be neglected.”