Ex-President Rawlings has confirmed Ghanaians’ worst fears that the relationship between him and his successor, John Kufuor, has taken a nose-dive. He however blamed the worsening relationship not on any omissions or commissions of the incumbent President, but on the Minister for Information and Presidential Affairs, Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey and former Security Advisor, General Joshua Hamidu. Rawlings said he had met President Kufuor on three occasions. The first meeting was fruitful but the subsequent ones fell below expectation, he said, blaming Mr. Obetsebi-Lamptey, the man he has consistently criticised and Gen. Hamidu who Rawlings said sat in the meeting.

The ex-President also hinted that his wife, Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings, has officially written to the foreign bank where she is alleged to have stashed millions of dollars to come out and deny or confirm the allegation, as a matter of urgency. According to Mr. Rawlings, Nana Konadu has also attached a copy of the newspaper, which published the allegation to the letter that she sent to the bank.

A story published by the private-owned “Ghanaian Chronicle” said Rawlings told a radio station in Takoradi, in Western Ghana that the story, which was carried in the Crusading Guide, was a blatant lie calculated to tarnish the image of his family; they have nevertheless taken the necessary steps to clear their name.

According to Mr. Rawlings, who ruled Ghana for nearly 20 years, he has in most cases refused to comment on what he described as blatant lies being peddled in some of the newspapers about him and his family to boost their sales, but they have taken steps to disprove this bribery allegation because if they fail, the public might think it is true.

Touching on the call on him to stop making inflammatory public statements, ex-President Rawlings said he would not stop, “either today or tomorrow” because he is also citizen of Ghana and, therefore, qualifies to enjoy the freedom of speech which is enshrined in the 1992 Constitution.

According to him, he cannot stop making public statements when worst things are going on in the country. He specifically mentioned corruption, which, he fought against but has now gone out of hand. He however, regretted that anytime he tries to point out some of the shortcomings of the government, its spin-doctors get to work, deliberately misinforming the public.

He reiterated that the NDC, of which he is the founder, will surely use the 2004 elections, to overthrow the NPP government through the ballot box, adding that the NPP will lose the next elections, hence the panic reactions it has resorted to.

“They have always been telling lies, a situation which has been compelling me to also come out to tell the truth, “ he added.

Asked whether if the NDC wins the 2004 elections, as he has been predicting, it will witch-hunt members of the present government, he said the party has no such intentions, but would rather allow justice to prevail.

On how he sees the performance of the media, ex-President Rawlings said some of them are doing a great job, especially the radio stations and some of the newspapers but was quick to add that the media as a whole would be doing a great disservice to this country if personnel allowed themselves to be cowed by the government.

On the cars he has been instructed to return to government, the former President said he has absolutely no problem with it, adding most of the cars are not even being used because they are not roadworthy.

Meanwhile, latest reports say the former President has refused to return the cars upon the advise of his lawyers.