Michael Boateng And Clement Boateng
19 August 2008
Sunyani — THE FOUNDER of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Ex-President Jerry John Rawlings says the calmness exhibited by members and supporters of the party in spite of violence and intimidation meted out against them by the New Patriotic Party (NPP), does not suggest a sign of cowardice on their part, but for the sake of peace in the nation.
He said the NDC members could have retaliated against the NPP, cautioning that the provocation must stop before it degenerates into an uncontrollable situation in the country. According to him, since the NPP government assumed political power, it has made every effort to bury freedom and justice in the country, the basic human values on which the society sustained itself.
Ex-President Rawlings said this when he paid a courtesy call on the paramount Chief of Sunyani, Nana Bosoma Asor Nkrawiri at his Palace, and told the supporters and members of the NDC to be vigilant, united and strong in their quest to ensure free and fair elections, come December 7.
The visit, which forms part of his nationwide tour to assess the political situation around the country and to ascertain the preparedness of the people to bring back freedom and justice, started from the Brong Ahafo Region.
"It's not as if we don't know it but I can now understand why Alan Kyerematen resigned, when he was accusing Nana Akufo Addo, Jake and their thugs for being violent against his people", he said. He also indicated that recent reports on the way NPP members were assaulting perceived members and supporters of NDC was a confirmation.
Ex-President Rawlings noted that though the socio-economic circumstance of the country has been reduced drastically, all hope was not lost yet, emphasizing that "this is our last hope", and expressed the fear that the country would completely go rotten if the NPP should be given another chance to rule the country.
The NPP government brought Ghanaians nothing but hunger, corruption and the persecution of perceived supporters of NDC, he said, indicating that the vitality in the people throughout his tour was a manifestation of their desire to return to freedom and justice through the NDC's administration.
According to him, NPP won power in 2000 with deceit and lies and rigged the 2004 elections. He therefore entreated the electorate to be wide awake to prevent NPP from taking them for a ride. He continued that the NPP came to power with the slogan of "property owning democracy" and has subsequently taken all the Ga stool lands to build mansions for themselves.
On his part, Mr. J.H Owusu Acheampong, a former Brong Ahafo Regional Minister observed that development in the Sunyani Township has come to a halt since the NDC left office, and assured the chief and his elders that the NDC would be returned to power to continue the good works it started.
He alleged that the NPP was trying to divert the attention of the electorate by peddling lies that Ex-President Rawlings and Prof. Mills were at loggerheads just to suggest that the NDC was polarized, so that they could sneakily manipulate the December elections, but that had already failed.
As a peace loving person, Mr. Rawlings peacefully handed the leadership to the NPP in 2001 and what he got in return was maltreatment from the NPP government, indicating that the ex-President had been denied all the protocols due him. He said if there should be any party or somebody to boast of bringing rule of law into the country, it must be the NDC and Mr. Rawlings who drafted and signed the 1992 Constitution of the Republic of Ghana. Could there be rule of law without the Constitution, which is the supreme law of the country, he quizzed.
Alhaji Collins Dauda, on his part said though the constitution prevents chiefs from engaging in partisan politics, they could tell their subjects, especially the youth, about the history of this country and explain to them how and who salvaged the country from severe economic hardship some years ago. This, he believed, would enable the youth to make well-informed choices during the election.
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