Rawlings, Mahama Grateful For Mills’ Death?

“Divine intervention” created a great deal of goodwill for President Mahama on his (late President Mills) demise and also public sympathy also served a fine purpose in helping to ignite the hope within the party.”

These were the words of the founder of the National Democratic Congress, Jerry John Rawlings, in a meeting with the Volta Regional House of Chiefs on the 19th of September 2012.

Exactly 19 days before the words of the NDC founder, the biggest beneficiary of the death of the late President Mills, President John Mahama made a similar remark on the day he was officially elected as the flagbearer of the NDC for the December polls.

According to President Mahama, President Mills paid ultimate price, but his death had opened a door of opportunity for NDC.

What President Mahama and the founder of the NDC both agree on is the fact that President Mills was an obstacle standing in the way of victory in the December 2012 polls. The NDC founder’s criticism of President Mills was mainly hinged on the fact that he had surrounded himself with “greedy bastards” who had ensured that corruption within the party was entrenched.

JJ Rawlings at the June 4 uprising stated that the NDC, under the leadership of President Mills, had been put in a ditch because they had neglected the ideals of probity, transparency and social justice.

At this year’s June 4 celebration, 7 weeks to the death of President Mills, the NDC founder asked a very important question. He asked, "How can you beat Nana Akufo-Addo and the NPP when you are rejecting the values of June 4. How can you win when you are afraid of values of June 4, freedom and justice?"

So to President Rawlings, the NDC had lost the election way ahead of time, with President Mills at the helm of affairs. So if the NDC was to win the December election, according to the reasoning of the NDC founder, President Mills had to “get out of the way.”

So, by “divine intervention”, President Mills has been taken out of the way and up steps John Mahama to become President of Ghana. John Mahama, in major public speeches, has re-echoed the point that the death of President Mills had opened up an opportunity for him and the NDC.

The question, therefore, is: Is the NDC founder, together with President Mahama, grateful to God for the death of the Mills? From their statements, it seems they are. They are extremely grateful for the “divine intervention” that has led to the death of President Mills. They now believe that with Mills out of the way, they can win election 2012. How far will one go to be President………….?

By: Kwesi Bosumtwe

Agona Nsabaa