President John Agyekum Kufuor said on Tuesday that he took concerns expressed about his criticisms of former President Jerry John Rawlings recently at Sekondi very serious, adding that, having had his say after several instances of verbal attacks from his predecessor, he would not be distracted to repeat such speeches.
Reacting to the concern of Francis Ankomah, a child rights activist, at the People's Assembly, President Kufuor, who described his speech as one on a typical party occasion, however, said, his critics should also advice his predecessor to desist from castigating and provoking him.
Ankomah said he was saddened by the President's harsh speech at the New Patriotic Party's (NPP) Delegates Congress, adding "that did not augur well for reconciliation" and suggested that the two leaders dialogue to settle their differences.
President Kufuor's address, which described Former President Rawlings as a bully and intimidating person, has received criticism from the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and a section of the public as uncharacteristic of him and not reconciliatory.
Earlier, the President had accepted Hajia Abiba's advice to tone down his political statements to make them worthy of emulation. President Kufuor said since assuming office two years ago he had until last Sunday not said "anything untoward against Mr Rawlings", who had rather often made unsavoury remarks about him and his administration and, therefore, took exception on that day to react to some of those criticisms.
President Kufuor, whose response received prolonged applause from the audience said the Former President had said the coming into office of the NPP was an act of God to show Ghanaians the difference between the good and the bad.
"My predecessor had said my government would serve only one term and after that we should have the courage to stay here," he explained. When one of the participants at the Assembly asked the President on how he would draw the line between his role as President and that of the Flagbearer of his Party, President Kufuor said both officially and in private, he would continue to be the President, but at party functions he would be the flagbearer.
In an interview with the GNA after the Assembly, many people mentioned the response on the rally speech as the one they appreciated most. Ms Constance Dzaka, a teacher said: "The response to the Takoradi speech was excellent and the best for me. I was also displeased when I saw him on television, but having listened to his explanation, I believe it was necessary."
Several questions bothering on issues from personal, political, socio-economic to cultural were responded to by the President, Vice President Aliu Mahama and Ministers of State.
The People's Assembly, the second since the NPP came into office, was to afford citizens, other than parliamentarians and the media to have access to interact with the executive, the opportunity to seek answers to issues of governance. It was attended by a cross-section of Ghanaians, including representatives of civil society organisations.
