Rawlings was a megalomaniac - Prof Ahwoi

One of the close allies of former President Jerry John Rawlings during the PNDC and NDC era, Professor Kwamena Ahwoi, has described the former leader of Ghana as a "megalomaniac".

According to him, the megalomaniac nature made Rawlings fall out with his comrades because having been in power for 19 years, he could not imagine himself without power and he felt cheated out of power by his comrades who should have helped him retain power.

Prof Ahwoi added: “Rawlings’ was able to cover up his behaviour with certain unique qualities that many did not think he had an obsessive desire for power.

“By behaving very humbly; identifying himself with the ordinary person; by speaking the language of the street and seeming to be unostentatious, Rawlings presented himself as somebody who was completely uninterested in power but upon whom power had been thrust.”

Prof Ahwoi noted further in the book ‘Working with Rawlings’ that dealing with JJ Rawlings revealed that “he was very much interested in power and that he was very reluctant to lose power".

Ahwoi recounted an occasion when in forming the District Assembly concept, it was suggested that ‘Presiding Members’ should be known as ‘Chairmen’.

Rawlings who was the Chairman of the PNDC objected stating that he would remain the only Chairman, insofar as the PNDC government was in power.

“Our government can have only one Chairman at a time,” Rawlings told his PNDC members.

Prof Ahwoi said, the name was quickly changed from ‘Chairman of the District Assembly’ to ‘Presiding Member of the District Assembly’.

Rawlings, Prof Ahwoi narrated, was also described by some of his folks as a demagogue, where he seeks support by appealing to the desires and prejudices of ordinary people rather than using rational arguments.

“He is able to excite the emotions of ordinary people in order to gain their support. He did this by using slogans such as ‘power to the people’, ‘Ghana people make we wake up, make we fight for our rights; we no go sit down make them cheat we everyday...” Prof Ahwoi wrote in his book.