"We need you, we want you" - the crowd yell at J.J Rawlings

Ex-President Flt. Lt J.J. Rawlings could be described as an ex-President of this country but the magic, the favour and the attraction which his charisma carries since he bounced unto the political scene in this country in 1979 and December 31st 1981 and his eight-year Presidency from 1992 to 2000 is still alive and kicking.

When he last year went to Kumasi and had a meeting with NDC party-faithfuls, he relieved the toast of the Asantehemaa Nana Afua kobi II who beckoningly invited him to sit by her side. “Come and sit by me, my son”

This scene at the Asantehemaa’s Palace at Manhyia was not organised and when word got round that Rawlings was in town the whole Manhyia area was turned up-side down as Joshua Hamidu’s security men were seen digging and kicking their heels to control the crowd that had stampeded the area to catch a glimpse of ex-President.

It must be noted that the National Security, in spite of all the advantages at their disposal did not know that the man they fear most and consider to be a thorn in their flesh was going to visit Kumasi.

It was like the reception the ex-President received at the funeral of the Chief Imam at Accra Newtown which forced the security agencies to stop President JAK from attending the same function in order to avoid embarrassment.

But what happened at the Fast Track court in Accra last Friday January 18th 2002 surprised his own party-faithfuls and NPP sceptists who could not believe their eyes and their ears.

The Fast Tract Court was expected to open its doors at 10:30 a.m. but the ex-President and his Chief of Staff, Mr Victor Smith, got to the court at 9.30 a.m. and parked their Ford 4 x 4 wheel drive vehicle and waited for the court doors to be opened. Whiling away his time he chose to inspect some of the projects in relation to the courts which were initiated by his government.

And when the doors were opened at 10:15 am he stepped out of his car and went into the court room and engaged in a tete-a-tetes with Kwame Preprah, former Minister of Finance, Mr Ibrahim Adam former Minister of Agriculture, Nana Ato Dadzie, former Chief of Staff, Dr Sipa Yankey, former Director of EPZ and Dr Dapaah former Director of the Ministry of Agriculture.

He stood on his feet until Judge Kwame Afreh was ushered in and when the criers shouted “Court-Rise” as a respect to the incoming Judge ex-President Rawlings was already standing at ease on his feet.

After Judge Afreh had sat down, he acknowledged the presence of Flt. Lt. Rawlings who had earlier accepted to sit at the back-bench after he had politely turned down an offer to sit on the front row. The people burst out in cheers as some of the people in the court dashed out to spread the good word that Fl. Lt. Rawlings was in town.

After sitting through the whole 45 minutes of exchanges between council and accused and when the ex-President stepped out, the crowd was uncontrollable as people rushed to catch a glimpse of the man whose government set up the Fast Track Court which is now trying his own ministers.

He posed a security threat as he was hemmed in among the crowd jostling to rub shoulders with him and were shouting, “Here is the man’, “We miss you”, “Obarima nie”, “this is the brave man”, said a middle aged woman.

“In fact I had never set an eye on Rawlings face to face until today, but the moment I saw him I liked him, he is handsome, charming and well-mannered” said a Rawlings critic. The crowd was so uncontrollable as people blocked the entrance to his car.

In an interview, he said it was his administration and government policies, which were on trial. He said that he had come to the court to see for himself the NPP government’s type of the 'due process of the law'. He zoomed off with the people chasing his car.