Why I Hate Rawlings - Kweku Baako

THE EDITOR-in-chief of the New Crusading Guide has explained why he does not see eye to eye with ex-President Rawlings, chairman of the defunct Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC).

Malik Kweku Baako says he is not a fan of the former military leader because he is a contradiction of the ideals and principles that informed the June 4 uprising. According to architects and supporters of the June 4 upheaval which saw General Acheampong’s regime ousted from office, the event was to restore probity, accountability and social justice among other things.

Kweku Baako noted that at the time, he fully supported the uprising to the peril of his life at a young age of 25 because he believed in the ideals and principles that underpinned it. But instead of ex-President Rawlings sticking to the principles and ideals of June 4, he decided to ignore the same principles and ideals when he clung onto power.

In an interview with Hello FM in Kumasi, he said Rawlings refused to submit himself to the mechanisms of ensuring probity and accountability even during the time he served as chairman of the AFRC.

Kweku Baako indicated that ex-President Rawlings amply demonstrated his lack of commitment to ensuring probity and accountability during his eleven years in office as a military leader. He noted that neither Rawlings nor members of his regime submitted themselves to probes when allegations of corruption and abuse of office were made against them.

The seasoned journalists stated that even when damning evidence of corruption were made against leading members of Rawlings’ regime, he was quick to issue a white paper to clear them.

“How can somebody who took the lives of people for the reason that they perpetuated acts that contravene the principles of accountability and probity, shield his people from submitting themselves through probity and accountability mechanisms,” Mr. Baako wondered.

He emphasized that as principled as he is, he cannot support and be a fanatic of such a character like ex-President Rawlings, stressing that until the ex-president changed for the better he will continue to have issues with him.