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Trinity Of The Ridge: Rawlings Humpty, Konadu Dumpty

Wed, 25 May 2011 Source: Kwankwaso, Abu Musah

The actions of the former first couple i.e. the Rawlingses; within current political circles is nothing short of a childish play reminiscent of a nursery poem many of us would be avers to.

And the poem of which I would write a political rendition to the Rawlingses by the end of this piece reads thus; *“Humpty dumpty sat on the wall, humpty dumpty had a great fall, all the kings men and kings women couldn’t put humpty dumpty together again.”*

The Rawlingses and their very few apparatchiks within the party Mr. Jerry *‘Brawlings’ *founded forgetfully so with the help of others, the National Democratic Congress (NDC), have resorted to doing all it takes as things stands now, to the do the current President, John Evans Atta Mills in.

Where doing Mills in, was reflected in a New Weekend Crusading GUIDE publication a few weeks back; which headline read thus; *‘PRESIDENT KONADU?’ * and with a rider that read; *“Would the last person please turn out the lights?”*

The above publication in a pro-opposition newspaper authored by one Ernest Addo, (who I gather is an editor of the said paper) tells how critical Malik Baako and *‘his boys’* are of very bare facts that the Rawlingses over and above everything are opposed to the President for only God knows what.

And so do we wake up one morning to hear that Obaahemaa Konadu Dumpty (OKD) has decided to contest the current President for their party’s flagbearer slot come the party’s congress slated for Sunyani.

I was a personal witness to the bussing of people to the launch of OKD’s campaign at the Accra International Conference Centre, during which occasion Chairman Jerry Rawl admitted tacitly that Mills was in pole position to win the presidential primaries but he would go on to lose the general elections.

Whiles I think the President’s picking of nominations and subsequent campaign launch at his Kuku Hill office was rather extravagant and I dare say unnecessary whether sponsored or otherwise, I guess it was the very perfect avenue to have called the long standing bluff of a certain perceived crowd puller and soul of the NDC, Chief Jerry Rawl.

What the members of the Get Atta Mills Endorsed (GAME) team did was to tell their founder in the face the long truth that Obed Asamoah, former Chairman of the party had proposed; leading to his quitting the NDC and forming of the Democratic Freedom Party (DFP).

The Sherry Ayiteys, Betty Moulds, ET Mensahs, Ade Cokers and the like put it straight and succinctly, without contradiction and equivocation to Jerry Rawl that for all it was worth he should leave them to breathe some fresh air in the party, yes! He may have founded but whose* CURRENT STATUS IS HINGED ON THE HARDWORK OF MANY OTHERS. *(Caps Mine)

Now post his own admission that Mills would win in Sunyani, Jerry Rawl and his ‘troops’ have decided to make the nation ungovernable for the current President, who clearly they want out of office even if the opposition New Patriotic Party is to return to power post election 2012.

First was the allegations that GAME was busily using monetary influence to coerce potential party delegates to vote for the President during the congress, then came effusions of the ‘Yutong’ Philosopher, Teye Nyaunu, who professed that delegates were afraid to endorse OKD’s candidature as a result of intimidation and harassment.

As if that was not enough; alleged security tapes available to Jerry Rawl and his aide general, a certain Herbert Mensah has information that a budget as huge as GH¢ 90 million had been earmarked for JUST the party primaries (nothing short of ridiculous)

Produce the tape too, they cannot but still stand by their hollow allegations as reiterated by Jerry Rawl when a certain aggrieved and highly embittered ‘king of pissing in,’ Ekwow Spio Garbrah, decided to trend down the hotheaded path of wading into a contest even Jerry Rawl would lose even if allowed to contest.

Clearly as someone whose views converge with that of the Rawlingses on the score that Mills must out, Spio spews pure venom by calling Mills corrupt when he went for ‘blessings’ of Jerry Rawl in a battle he is most likely going to drop to back Madam as postulated by pollster Ben Ephson and Sekou Nkrumah, formerly Coordinator of the National Youth Council.

Consistent though on the part of Jerry Rawl is his rather all weather critique of all administrations post his 19 year rule as President of Ghana, the last administration did not have it easy whenever he spoke, during which time functionaries of the NDC were always on hand to explain his words.

Down the line, I dare say the man is still oblivious that his party was in power, in any case with the current trend of scathing attacks on this administration born out of the party he is founder of, even the very unlikely scenario of an OKD government; the *‘last saint’* standing in contemporary Ghanaian politics might just forget himself and go ballistic as it’s becoming more of a character than anything else.

Sorry if I am yet to thrust into the fray my concept of the Ridge Trinity as above introduced, before you put your hopes too high I should perhaps warn that this is a personal rendition of the conventional father, son and holy spirit equation.;

Who else to be the father (founder if you like than Chairman Jerry Rawl), the son in my breakdown being the ‘daughter’ and wife of Chairman Rawl, OKD; then is the holy spirit, call him the talkative of the Ridge, good old loquacious Kofi Adams, to who my free advice is; bend over backwards and read the script left behind by a certain Victor Smith, if it did not get burnt during the inferno that gutted the Rawlingses residence.

Kofi Adams has since his appointment, done far less an effort at justifying the sometimes blatant muddled positions especially of Jerry Rawl at least comparative to his predecessor, who the Rawlingses dispensed with as it pleased them, I don’t wish him same but that is what the people he so passionately speaks for, do to whoever they want.

Indeed the very crusade he (Adams) is helping them prosecute so ruthlessly against the sitting President is perhaps the biggest case of the Rawlingses doing to whoever how they wish to, irrespective of their past relations with you.

I was one of a few who held the opinion that the current President was in catch 22 situation when the then ruling NPP used to tease politically that he (Mills) was going to be manipulated by the founder of his party if the NDC was voted into power.

That I remember informed an advert in the heat of the campaign where a man knocked on the door claiming he was candidate Mills, when the occupants opened the door, a military man tried forcing his way into the room.

The long and short of it was that Mills was not going to be his own man if elected. Then was Mills’ own statements to the effect that he was going to consult his former boss, day and night.

Now in power, I would not claim to know the relationship between the two men as things stand now, but for intents and purposes, it looks as though Mills’ resolve not to pander to all of Jerry Rawl’s demands has led to the latter’s current posturing, regrettably so.

At least with the current state of events, there exists a certain measure of excitement at least amongst opposition commentators, on air and by the positions they espouse in the press, let them continue in this self destruction so that we can win power come 2012.

All of the above is in the wake of the position as put out by the NPP’s flagbearer, Nana Akuffo Addo, who warns that the party would not have to depend on the internal politics of the ruling party if they are to win back the power they lost in 2008.

Intra party disagreements and all are not alien to our politics over the last few years, the immediate past one being that of Akuffo Addo and Alan Kyeremanteng, which period threatened huge cracks within the opposition NPP; at the time the functionaries of the ruling party were all over begging them not to disintegrate at intra party level in order to present what they said was a credible opposition come 2012.

The NPP if they do not win the coming elections as the NDC is most likely to disintegrate post the July Congress, would have none but themselves to blame, yet if they are ever to come to power, the reasons for which the current administration is bleeding is sure to surface somewhat.

The very vociferous young people currently fighting tooth and nail to get the NPP elected would have to be catered for, as would the many constituency and polling station members tasked with prosecuting the 2012 elections.

Footsoldiers for the records are here to stay in Ghana’s politics, in as much as grassroots participation is of the essence in the as it were securing every single vote in any nook and cranny in the country.

Mills has by the way garnered a certain very appreciable level of goodwill with the Ghanaian populace as it stands now, I say this despite the current opposition playing the game of opposing all things advanced by the Mills administration.

The very worrying stance of an opposition that opposes just for the purpose of opposition (as have been the case with NDC in opposition) leaves the average Ghanaian in dire straits of always being swung in between nowhere in desperate moves by one party to cling on to power as the other looks to wrestle the same power.

Another point the NPP in power would have to contend with is to equalize the level of trust reposed in the youth by President Mills, who has ensured that a number of young people within the party have been appointed as deputy ministers.

Perhaps the main reason for which the Sammy Awukus, Gabby Otchere Darkos, Karbos and others are so vociferous about positions of government (let me add as were the many young ministers of today) during opposition.

Having espoused all the above at least with my very small knowledge in observing political events over the last few years; the nation has had enough of the Rawlingses except for the Teye Nyaunu’s, the Ras Mubaraks and a few others who I contend still hold high the Rawlingses (no problems even if that was and still is the case)

Lest I forget; my remixed version of the childish humpty dumpty politics of the Rawlingses; *“Jerry Nana sat on the wall (July 8 congress), Jerry Nana will get a GREAT FALL (decisive defeat), all umbrellas and eagles couldn’t put the Rawlingses together again.” (Hope you like it)*

Join me to wish the *‘Brawlingses’ *the very best in their onward march to a destination of I dare say - political irrelevance in the NDC - and influential obscurity within the national body politics. GO RAWLINGSES GO! Ghana’s politics has had enough of you!

At least history would remember you for steering the country for some two decades; the end by your own actions is in the offing, it would come and you will go, whatever bruises and blisters you suffer in the process of the bumpy road you have chosen is your own creation, the archives await July 8 as do most Ghanaians, BYE BYE Jerry Humpty and Nana Dumpty, So Long, Fare Thee Well, Adieu!

©Abu Musah Kwankwaso

ttcontrovee@gmail.com

Columnist: Kwankwaso, Abu Musah