The Rawlingses In Their Elements

; Let’s See The NDC Put The Genie Back In The Bottle!!

That former President Rawlings dabbles in sensationalism is undeniable. That he thrives on chaos and rides on the back of confusion is obvious. That President Rawlings has a penchant to embellish the truth to suit his circumstances is as sure as the night follows the day. It is also true that the man is an agent provocateur who solicits applause by playing on the sentiments of our rural folks. It is equally not wrong for anybody to suggest that President Rawlings is an opportunist who maximises even the most innocuous of situations to his advantage. His claim to champion the cause of the poor and the needy is hoax; a mirage as he has always championed the cause of himself and that his family. So whilst his children schooled abroad and having left office with all the trappings of a “Former President” of the country, we are yet to see a single charity organisation set up by President Rawlings for the needy children of Accra, Ho-Avetime, Kwame-Danso or Zabzugu-Tatale. His populist rhetoric on political platforms are just to hoodwink those who can’t see through the smokescreen. It’s just political gimmickry; pure and simple!!

Rawlings and those around him have managed to create the impression that until former shot himself to power, Ghanaians did not even know how to pound our own fufu. Having being so deified by his hangers-on, Rawlings sat in judgement of Ghanaians and shot the “sinners” amongst us at stake. Many others went into exile. Those who stayed in the country lost their businesses or had their hard won reputation run down the gutter. Prominent sons of Ghana like Dr Hilla Limann, Kow Nkensen Arkaah and President Kuffour have all been put through the Rawlings mill. This is the personality of the mythical and enigmatic Rawlings. In 2008, he was in full flow; throwing insults and accusation at President Kuffour and the NPP. It is true that without the lies and fabrications of the Rawlingses, the NDC wouldn’t have won the elections of 2008. Rawlings’ innuendos, aspersions and cacophonous noises were a sine qua non in the defeat of the NPP. Then candidate Mills grinned from ear to ear and nodded his approval as Rawlings boomed his insults on Kuffour.

It is true that sometimes “snake charmers” do get bitten by their snakes as much as game wardens also get eaten up lions and other wild animals. Has President Mills and the followers of NDC suddenly woken up to the ear-splitting noises of their founder? To President Mills and the NDC, everything Rawlings said about Kuffour and the NPP were true. Interestingly, some still believe those lies; so today if “saint” Rawlings tells mortal Ghanaians that President Mills has appointed “Team B” ministers; who are we to dispute that? And if “pope” Rawlings tells us that President Mills is sitting on a corrupt administration; why shouldn’t Ghanaians believe him? Shouldn’t Ghanaians pray to GOD for forgiveness for voting President Mills into office if ‘almighty’ Rawlings tells us that there have been shoddy oil deals in our infant oil industry under the former’s watch? If the NDC demagogue says his own begotten son, the “asomdweehene” Mills is incompetent, weak and not in charge of his administration, should we argue with him? Rawlings is so concerned about the incompetence of Mills so much so that he has decided to throw his massive weight behind his beloved wife to contest the flag bearer-ship of the NDC to right the wrongs of the President; “Atta Mortuary Man”, “Konongo Kaya”, “Who Born Dog” who has surrounded himself with “greedy bastards” and latter day converts who have only hopped on the gravy train to enjoy “chinchinga”. I wonder why Nana Konadu’s declaration has caused a pandemonium of such apocalyptic proportions in the NDC!?!

Ever since Mrs Rawlings declared her intentions, Ghanaians have seen the haste with which some of these “greedy bastards” have hopped from one radio station to the other like monkeys on tree branches to castigate the Rawlingses. Now the Fiifi Kwetteys, Okudjeto Ablakwas, Baba Jamals, Kwesi Pratts et al are running helter-skelter doing damage limitation on the aspersions coming from the Rawlingses corner against the President. “Who born dog?” Observers are wondering how they are going to put the genie back into the bottle. Our Nigerian cousins would say, “na big wahala don’t come ooo!” Rawlings owns the NDC stock and barrel and anyone who is uncomfortable should get out! For the sake of power, The NDC harped on every lie the Rawlingses told in 2008 to cause disaffection against the NPP. In one of my articles titled, “Of Humiliation, Name Calling And The Intended Resignation: Did The President Expect To Be Treated Differently?” published last year by most Ghanaian affiliated websites ; I cautioned President Mills that having been the principal beneficiary of Rawlings’ insults on Kuffour and the NPP, he should not be surprised if the tide turned against him. I advised President Mills in same article that the enigmatic character of Rawlings has left many a casualties in its trail and mentioned the Boakye Djans, the late Dr Hilla Limann, Courage Quashigah, Kow Nkensen Arkaah among others. Today, Ghanaians are witnesses to the apparent discord between the former first couple and the likes of PV Obeng, Awoonor, the Tsikatas, the Ahwoi brothers and President Mills. The old mill is still churning out more casualties!

Now the Rawlingses after so many name calling and throwing doubts over the competence of President Mills have decided Mrs Rawlings would contest for the flag bearer-ship of the NDC in July. Suddenly, President Mills’ hangers-on are in full gear doing their damnedest to put brakes on Mrs Rawlings’ ambitions. Out of no where, Kwesi Pratt, Allotey Jacob, Okudjeto Ablakwa, Fiifi Kwettey and many others have come out to take a pop at the former first couple. “Greedy bastards” indeed! They are all desperate to discredit the former President and his wife just to keep their positions but Ghanaians know better now. Today, the same President Rawlings who canonised Prof President Mills at Swedru claims that the latter heads a corrupt administration that has short-changed Ghanaians in some oil and the STX deals so Nana Konadu should come to investigate it. The panic in the NDC goes to show how well Kuffour did to keep his head above water amidst a plethora of innuendos and insults. Why shouldn’t Ghanaians believe Rawlings now that he is ‘revealing’ similar skeletons in Mill’s cupboard? Is President Mills better than all the others who have suffered from the acid tongue of Rawlings? Dr Limann, Arkaah and Kuffour were all fine gentlemen of the land but their reputation at home and abroad were left bruised and in tatters by Rawlings. Now that President Mills is being played same music, the self-seeking ministers are quaking in their “tsokotos” just like Laurent Gbagbo when he latter was smoked out of his bunker! President Mills is not good enough so Nana Konadu will contest him and let all the “greedy bastards” go to hell!!! This is the Rawlingses in their elements; their NDC has been corrupted so they want their party back to clean it and that can only be achieved by Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings and no one can stop her from contesting President Mills. Her declaration has had a ‘tsunamaic’ (my own coinage) devastation on NDC and it’s going to take a while to knit the pieces together. Now that the genie is out we wait to see how the NDC will put it back into the bottle. In the mean time, observers are watching.

Kofi Kyei-Mensah-Osei