NDP General Secretary, Dr. Manboah confirm…

“…They will strongly campaign for us”

The acting General Secretary of the National Democratic Party (NDP), Dr. Joseph Manboah-Rockson has virtually put stamp to The Al-Hajj’s lead story of Thursday 19th July, 2012 captioned JJ, NDC Part Ways At Last- when he insisted on Citi Fm last Friday that, the Rawlinges are indeed the owners and brains behind the new party.

Dr. Joseph Manboah-Rockson was rubbishing claims by the Communication Director at the Presidency, Koku Anyidoho to the effect that the Rawlinges will join President John Mills on the campaign trail.

Mr. Koku Anyidoho is reported to have told the media that following a recent meeting between the founder of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and former president, Jerry John Rawlings and his former Vice, now sitting president, Atta Mills-who are known to have had strained relations- it is clear now that there is no more cause for alarm among party members.

But reacting to the statement by the Director of Communication at the Castle on Citi Fm last Friday, the acting General Secretary of the NDP, Dr. Joseph Manboah-Rockson maintained that Rawlings and wife, Nana Konadu, who he insists are indeed the pivot around the party, will vigorously campaign for the new party after it’s official launch, expected to be in the second week of next month.

“The Rawlingses are behind the NDP and they will strongly campaign for us after we have launched our party.” Dr. Joseph Manboah stated.

Former President Jerry Rawlings on the 5th of this month visited President John Mills at the Castle to presumably commiserate with him following his return from a medical check-up abroad.

The meeting between the former President and his once chosen heir and protégé, Mills to smoke the peace-pipe and reconcile their differences was hailed in many circles especially among adherents of the NDC.

However, The Al-Hajj was to later report that Jerry Rawlings risks being stripped of his position as founder and possibly expelled from the party following disparaging remarks he made in far-away Equatorial Guinea, calculated at destroying the government and country’s international goodwill and reputation.

According to The Al-Hajj’s story and citing intelligence reports, Rawlings, incorrigible as he is, after the mid-night meeting with president Mills on the 5th of July, traveled aboard a presidential jet to Equatorial Guinea only to go and bad-mouth president Mills and the NDC administration before fellow guest, the President of Surinam and their host, President Obiang Mbasogo Nguema,.

Mr. Rawlings is reported to have told his host, Presidents Mbasogo Nguema, a personal friend of President Mills and Desiré Delano "Dési" Bouterse that president Mills and the NDC government were going to steal the December elections in order to perpetuate themselves in power.

Unrepentant Jerry Rawlings is also said to have added that as part of the plan by Mills and the NDC to rig the elections, rented people will be transported to the party’s rallies during the campaign to showcase how ‘popular’ the administration is as a precursor to the manipulation of the December election results.

Mr. Rawlings is alleged to have further told his fellow guest and host that though Mills is a man of high integrity, he has allowed himself to be surrounded by ‘hard core crooks’ who are filthy corrupt. This ‘unacceptable’ behavior of the former president, a very highly placed source told The Al-Hajj, has compelled the presidency to resolve to cease any further reconciliatory discussions with the former air force pilot. His conduct, this paper was told, is to be tabled at the next National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of the party to determine his future with the party he founded.