The National Democratic Party (NDP) says some key members of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) sought to destroy the legacy of the late former President of Ghana Flt. Lt. Jerry John Rawlings (Rtd.) by attacking him whilst he was alive.

According to the Party, the Ahwois and “Mahama group” within the NDC sponsored political neophytes former President Rawlings described as ‘babies with sharp teeth’ to unleash a barrage of insults and spew damning political rhetoric on the persons of Mr. and Mrs. Rawlings.

“Even the eventual ostracization of Mr. and Mrs. Rawlings from the NDC was inadequate to appease them. As recently as this year, Prof. Jane Naana Opoku Agyeman, the running mate of the NDC wrote the foreword of a book by Prof. Kwamena Ahwoi which was aimed to destroy the legacy of Jerry John Rawlings,” Alhaji Mohammed Frimpong, Secretary-General of the NDP said at a press conference in Accra, Monday afternoon.

He added: “Indeed, in the weeks leading up to his demise, President Rawlings made it clear to all those he had meetings with that he was extremely heartbroken that neither the leadership of the NDC nor the Executives had made any statements in defence of the Founder nor to correct the lies in the book.

"Today, the political henchmen who were utilized for such diabolic assignments have been rewarded with high positions in the NDC under John Mahama and those who picked up the baton are also expecting big posts under a Mahama government. Those who produced forewords of books that cast the founder of the party in [a] bad light are hoping to occupy the highest positions in government on the ticket of the party which was formed through the sweat and blood of Jerry John Rawlings.”

The NDP questioned what the late Jerry John Rawlings did to warrant such disrespect from the party which he suffered and toiled for.

“All Rawlings did was to be a voice of conscience, reminding them of his enduring principles of probity, accountability and anti-corruption - creeds the NDC under John Mahama blatantly disregarded when they assumed the reins of power. As a result, they sought to silence him so as to prevent him from publicly repudiating them for their unprecedented levels of corruption,” the NDP stated.

Upon the unfortunate demise of Jerry John Rawlings, the NDP claims, the NDC is seeking to lead in mourning Rawlings; “they have begun to shed crocodile tears.”

Former President Flt. Lt. Jerry John Rawlings (Rtd.) died on Thursday, November 12 at the Korle Bu Teaching hospital after suffering a short illness.

He was 73 years old.