In 1999, NDC was not treating the Reform Movement’s threat with a joke at all. The Rawlings government used THE BIG STICK and was able to ram the fear of sack down the throats of pro-reformist who might be holding key positions in government. With that BIG STICK the NDC mounted a TOP LEVEL CAMPAIGN to fully douse the Reform fire. Mr. Kwabena Kyere, a former Deputy Minster of Education in a jubilant mood, told party faithful at Sunyani in the Brong/Ahafo Region that Goosie Tannoh and his group “constitute” just a few members of the NDC who only wanted to sow seeds of confusion in the party. He was lying through his teeth.
The cadres’ position was that, the core group around which the NDC was built include the former C.D.R’s and Civil Defence Organisation (C.D.O’s) popularly called Militia men whose members has realized that they have been used and dumped as they went home empty handed.
We then decided to invite NDC sitting MPs to join the Reform Movement and any MP that will refuse, we shall pitch a Reform Movement Candidate against him no matter how popular that candidate may be, we wanted to achieve that by asking local cadres to instigate voters against such incumbent MPs. Unfortunately, any cadre that would be arrested, he will be dumped inside Military guard rooms or BNI cells without charge on the orders of Prez. Rawlings, From 1982 to 1989, corruption in Ghana was 1% the first in Ghana’s history as the cadres were patriotic nationalistic minded. The Reform Movement started from the Volta Region whose people were dis-enchanted with the lack of development which the Region had suffered over the past 19years during which they have been vilified for being pro-NDC especially when their son had been the Head of State since 1979. We also decided to pitch Reform Cadres against NDC Candidates imposed on the people by Dr. Obed Asamoah, the then National Chairman of the N.D.C. We had Reform 1 and Reform 2. Reform 1 constituted of the then young ones including this writer, the radicals and cadres who constituted the footsoldiers in the revolutionary organs of yester years. At that time, the party structures were weak and the branches were not working as it is today 2012.
Reform 2 consists of the BIG MEN of the NDC ruling government under Rawlings which comprised ministers of state, DCE’s and high government officials and retired public officials who are NDC card bearing members with support for the Reform Movement, but cannot come out openly in support for fear of Rawlings.
We accommodated the big and elderly men in the Reform Movement because they were our role models and believed like the cadres that the successor of Rawlings MUST COME FROM WITHIN, because Mills, was a lawyer and the Ghana Bar Association DID NOT SUPPORT JUNE 4 and the 31st December revolutions, and not that Mills was not qualified to be a President, Moreso, Rawlings had promised the cadres that Goosie Tannoh would take over from him in case of any eventuality. Reform 2 members were having their meetings in Tema secretly and were providing funds for the Movement. The Reform Movement commanded the loyalty and sympathy of the entire NDC Party adherents in 1999, except those who had entrenched themselves for their selfish interests and who controlled the party to the dis-advantage of the cadres and we had support in every village we were used and dumped. After 8years in opposition, we fought for NDC to win in 2009, and for the third time again, cadres have been used and dumped but whose false is it/ The Rawlingses.
I state that it is the fault of the Rawlingses for failing to resource the cadres but simply dumped them to go home with empty hands.
The NDC lost some 15 seats and went on to lose the 2000 elections. Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings, the former first lady distanced herself completely from the Reform Movement and accused them of using “mis-information to mislead the people and win support for their selfish objectives. Meanwhile, juicy ambassadorial positions were being offered to some cadres of the Reform Movement. Which the cadres which the cadres turned down. So all these vacancies were there and yet Rawlings refused to offer cadres that opportunity UNTIL Cadres heated his “NYASS” before he decided to consider cadres for appointments.
The rest is now history.
RAWLINGS SECURITY OPERATIVES
When I was elected as the then District Organiser of the Association of the Committee for the Defence (ACDRS) of the revolution in 1996, I was put on surveillancc by Okro mouthed NDC members and even cadres but they all failed.
One morning in February 1999, 3 tall well dressed men approached me around 6:15am, and after the usual exchange of greetings, they politely asked of my name at Bogobiri- a suburb of Obuasi. I told them that I was called George Apanga, a tutor at Navrongo secondary school who had come to pay a visit to my brother in Obuasi who works in the AGC mines. Before then one of then quickly wrote down the registration number of the private care I was about to drive, but I pretended not to see him. They asked me whether I knew, one Clement Sangaparee, I quckly replied in the affirmative by telling them that he is a motor rider and the bike is a Honda 195 road master – they said it was a credible information, so they again asked about his occupation, I told them that he was a miner on secondment to the District C.D.R Secretariat in Obuasi and he was a “Tribunal Chairman” – I was the Chairman of the Arbitration and Complaints Dept. of the C.D.R in short, the ARBICOM DEPT in the whole Adansi District from October 1983 to 1992and I used to sit in a panel with members of the Prisons, Police and Armed Forces C.D.R members also on secondment to the CDR Secretariat with me as the Chairman just to put the fear of God to notorious rascals who will appear before us.
The security operatives were having 3 round leather bags containing pistols because the former Ashanti Regional Minister, Col. (rtd) Osei Owusu used to keep his pistol inside such small leather bags. They did not know that I was the very person that they were looking for. They further enquired to know the where abouts of Clement Sargaparee after thanking me for being very co-operative and nice to them. I told them that Clement left his house and told his wife that he was going to the Security Department of the AGC. They rushed into their vehicle and sped off. They did not know that the man they wanted to arrest on the orders of Rawlings to go and dump in their dark smelling cells was the very person talking to them. I thank the Police, Prison and Military Officers who worked with me at the erstwhile. C.C.R Secretariat for 10years for the security tips they imparted in me when we were working together. From there I gave that private car to its owner and left Obuasi at 7a.m to Kumasi with a land rover and by 7:20am. I was at the Bekwai round about – 20minutes breakneck speed for a journey of 38miles from Obuasi to Kumasi- Why? I was wanted by Rawlings Security dogs for supporting the Reform Movement. I bought a drum of kerosene and escaped to a village in the Brong Ahafo Region. I will however not name the particular village for security reasons. At the village, I was well received by the chief and queen mother after I dashed them free kerosine and mosquito nets.
The driver whose private car I was driving was picked by the Rawlings security operatives to show them my where abouts but he was later freed.
I used the land rover at the village to transport sick people in the village to the nearest hospital free of charge and I was much loved by all the villagers including their chief. At the village, I again changed my name from George Apanga to Wahabu Fofana in order to escape the prying eyes of the Rawlings Security dogs. Whenever the NPP, NDC, Reform Party members comes to the village to campaign, I always flee the village to avoid my cover from being blown by the Reform cadres and NDC members.
The chief and his queen mother asked me one day that the think I don’t like politics – I told them that what they said was exactly correct. They asked me again, what political party do you support? Hmm. These people, I told them that Ghana is my political party. So what about theirs? They replied in the Akan language that they supported Osono = Elephant the symbol of the NPP. Jesus Christ! So I was a guest of my political opponents? Infact, Rawlings will “kill”me. I stayed in that village for 3 good months before returning to Obuasi after Goosie Tannoh officially registered his National Reform Party. I was given a ram, one she goat, 24 smoked grasscutters and two smoked rats including a rich kente cloth by the chief and people of that village for the good services I provided to them. I politely rejected the ram, and the goat but accepted the kente cloth and the grasscutters.
I however saw that the Reform Party had no money to open offices in the then 200 constituencies in Ghana and abandoned ship back to my NDC in the same year.
Therefore, if Rawlings is now telling Ghanaians that the choice of Mills in 1996 was a mistake, who is to blame?
Politics is a different POT OF TEA because NPP members always become Angels in opposition, but forget God entirely when they win elections and form a government. They don’t even know that God exists when they are in power.
I believe it is in the interest of Ghana to have a strong government, so anything that undermines that interest would be bad for democracy especially since the leader of the Government was given the mandate by the people to rule. Therefore, anything that would tend to undermine the NDC or the ruling government would be negative and PULL DEMOCRACY BACKWARD ONLY FOR THE COUNTRY TO SUFFER.
President Mills must therefore focus on his Better Ghana Agenda while we meet the NPP coma, for coma, and word for word this year.
Anybody who is sincere about the NDC like this writer should know that it is better to work from within the NDC to solve perceived problems, and this is exactly what I have been doing from 2009 when the NDC returned to power. Those who never sweat during the 2008 general elections in the NDC are the very people pretending to be the TRUE FRIENDS OF ATTA MILLS. (2) They are the very people creating confusion in the party (3) They are the very people who tell dissenters in the party to go to Hell. (4) They are the very people who describe cadres in the NDC as the Rawlings Boys who will not get anything from the Mills government. (5) They are those who indulge in character assassinations and backbitings in the NDC as it has been happening in the Obuasi Constituency from 2009 to date 2012, but when you complain no body minds you. Well, coming events always cast their shadows. (6)Finally, they are those who vilify patriotic senior Cadres, former Ministers and innocent footsoldiers in the NDC)
In this article, who is now a Rawlings Boy? Is it Mills or the cadres?
RAWLINGS’ CROCODILE TEARS
On June 4 2011, Rawlings told cadres and party members that the choice of Mills in 1996 was a mistake, BUT it is now too late, therefore if it was a mistake “mistook” mishap, mis-judgement mis-dictatorship or mis-power durnkness, J.J. must lead the campaign for Mills to win in 2012 at all cost because he is his only Be Gotten Political Son since 1996 to date 2012. Next time, Jerry will never under rate his cadres at all. Rawlings must stop sheding crocodile tears.
The 31st December Revolution was 70% very bitter and 30% very sweet because the entire country was fully controlled by the cadres at the grassroots. Who born dog. I conclude this article with many thanks to all those remaining surving cadres for the integrity and patriotism during those extreme trying times during the heat of the Revolution between 1982-1984. I also pay a tribute to those who risked and sacrificed their lives extremely in the early years of the 31st December Revolution honestly believing that Ghana would be a Better and Safe Place with equal opportunities for all Ghanaians. Comrade Kwame Agyima and several cadres who were devoured by the Revolution. May their souls Rest in Perfect Peace.To God Be The Glory
Is Anybody Listening? I am done “Jaanbie Iwaii”
ALUTA CONTINUA!
Clement Sangaparee
Municipal Organiser
United Cadres Front
Obuasi
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E-mail.ClementSang@yahoo.com
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