On Monday February 11, Mr. Bernard Manu, wrote a piece posted on Ghana web with the caption Much ado about Rawlings". He raised several interesting points which, I believe, require far more thoughtful analysis than the feeble attempt by the author.
First and foremost, those of us who are seeking justice for the many victims of Rawlings are not on a warpath to "pull him down-PhD", as Mr. Manu puts it. No one is pulling Mr. Rawlings down. We are demanding a measure of justice for the thousand of victims who met their ultimate fate in the wake of Rawlings' misguided junta. Rawlings and his men massacred thousands of Ghanaians with impunity. Remember that some of those generals, who were massacred by Rawlings' AFRC thugs, had constitutional protection from any prosecution. Their constitutional protection meant very little to their murderous intentions. Now Flt.-Lt. Rawlings, who denied others their constitutional, basic civil and/or human rights, is at the mercy of the same constitutional protection.
A well-placed military intelligence source has described the barbaric murder of some of the Generals. This forum (i.e. Ghana web), is visited by far too many people, both Ghanaians and non-Ghanaians, for me to catalogue the horrific details. (Do not wash your dirty linen in public). The barbarism of the murders is part of the bloodstained legacy of Rawlings, which cannot be white-washed as "mere excesses", by Rawlings worshippers. Rawlings knew of the planned executions, of the generals, and the judges, and approved of them in advance.
Can Mr. Manu, and others who are sycophantic in their "idol worship" of Rawlings, imagine having to execute Felli, Utuka, Awudome, Kotei, etc., just for "tribal balance"? Let me recall the following for those who may not be aware of the details. Immediately, after the murders of Generals Afrifa, Acheampong and Akuffo, (all Akans), on June 16, 1979 or thereabouts, the Rawlings brigade, in a thirst for more "human blood", had to get non-Akans to be sacrificed. Hence, Felli, Awudome, Utuka, Kotei, etc., were executed to satisfy Rawlings' "tribal balancing" act. Where in civilized society is a person sacrificed, at will, because someone from a different tribe had been killed, to prevent a revolt?
Most of the alleged charges against some of these people were very flimsy. Air-vice Marshall Yaw Boakye was charged with economic ruin to the nation for merely borrowing the piddling equivalent of $50 from the bank. Securing a loan from a bank is not a crime any where in the civilized culture, except under the barbaric Rawlings' regime/AFRC.
Besides, judges, including Justices Cecilia Koranteng-Addo, Kwadwo Adjapong, Sarkodie, and a retired Army major, Sam Acquah, were abducted from their homes and hacked to death. It was reported that some of the body parts of Justice Cecilia Koranteng-Addo were missing, when her tortured, half-burnt remains were discovered. At the end, several associates of Mr. Rawlings' were tried, found guilty, and executed for those heinous crimes. THERE WERE CLEAR INDICATIONS OF INVOLVEMENT IN THE MURDERS OF THE JUDGES OF BOTH MR. RAWLINGS, AND RETIRED CAPT. KOJO TSIKATA. The duo has escaped justice for far too long.
Friends, ignoring evil will not erase evil. In fact, ignoring evil doers encourages more to spew venom, and indulge in the sewer of evil. If we bring Rawlings and Kojo Tsikata to justice, it will send clear message to all future "pseudo-revolutionaries", that one day they will have to face the judgment and the will of the people.
Additionally, it is very important to state UNEQUIVOCALLY that, Rawlings' call for "boom, let human blood flow, ahead of the the 2008 general elections, is unbecoming of a former "president" of Ghana, or any civilized nation, for that matter. Can anyone imagine former prime ministers Tony Blair and Margaret Thatcher, of UK, or former presidents Bill Clinton, of the US, and Nelson Mandel of South Africa, calling for spillage of human blood in their respective countries?
We are not pulling him (Mr. Rawlings) down, "PhD", but merely referencing Rawlings bizarre behavior on the Ghanaian political scene. There are some who will never question what Rawlings does, for reasons best known to themselves. When Mr. Rawlings calls for boom let human blood flow, it reflects his insatiable thirst for bloodshed and proclivity to political cannibalism. The comparisons with Idi Amin are apt. Some segments of our culture see things differently. I wonder if some derive a measure of innate satisfaction from Rawlings savagery in Ghana.
To Mr. Manu, and the other worshippers of "idol" Rawlings, should ask the following. What sort of a man, or leader, will engage in the merciless beatings of his own vice president, which eventually ended in the death of Vice-President Arkaa of the NDC party? Such antics are typical of the "psycho-maniacs", the likes of whom are locked up at mental institutions, or are in serious need of the services of a psychiatrist.
Fellow Ghanaians, FAILURE TO BRING RAWLINGS TO TRIAL UNDER SCORES OUR COWARD INDIFFERENCE TO INJUSTICE. THE COURAGE TO PROSECUTE RAWLINGS, THE IDI AMIN OF GHANA, EMPHASIZES OUR CHERISHED DESIRE TO "RESIST THE OPPRESSORS' RULE", which is enshrined in our national anthem. Oppressors are not only colonial powers, but home grown, maniacal, figures like Rawlings.
Additionally, IF WE FAIL TO ACT, OUR INDIFFERENCE IMPLIES TACIT ENCOURAGEMENT FOR OTHERS TO DO SAME OR WORSE IN THE FUTURE. "Rawlings did it, got away with it, and became a hero to some. Why not repeat it".
Consider Rawlings associations with "a well known health professional" in Accra, who was found to have murdered so many people, with missing body parts. Remember Rawlings' associations with shrines that perform sacrifices with human body parts. Remember the many young women who met their untimely deaths in Accra, again with missing body parts.
Let me leave the readers with the following thought. Jeffrey Dahmer of United States, was an articulate, well-dressed and good-looking, hard-working and popular man, but had an insatiable thirst for "human blood". No one suspected he was capable of the crimes he committed. There are very well-dressed, articulate, popular, good-looking, people who have various psychotic disorders. Let us have the courage to evaluate Mr. Rawlings, and ask tough questions. We may be saving him, and the nation from more massacres.
Mr. Rawlings can prove me wrong by stopping his sadistic insinuations, and constant cravings for human blood. He belongs in jail with Charles Taylor.
PRESS ON FOR JUSTICE.
Views expressed by the author(s) do not necessarily reflect those of GhanaHomePage.
