Because Tsikata, Selormey, Perprah, Adam, Abodakpi, Yankey were jailed under kufuor

Former President Jerry John Rawlings yesterday questioned Nana Akufo-Addo whether he and other functionaries in the National Democratic Congress (NDC) can feel safe under his presidency should he win the forthcoming elections.

Mr. Rawlings, put the question to the New Patriotic Party (NPP) flagbearer at his Ridge residence, when the latter surprisingly visited him the ex-president on a courtesy call.

According to Mr. Rawlings “while we expect either John Mahama or Nana (Mrs. Rawlings) to win this election, should you [Nana] win this election, can the NDC supporters enjoy the same degree of security and freedom under your government as the NPP have enjoyed under the Mills-Mahama government because they have been very nervous and I know what a good deal of them went under the Kufuor regime?”

Nana Addo is famously remembered for cancelling courtesies and privileges that Mr. Rawlings was entitled to as an ex-president.

Mr. Rawlings was also dragged to the headquarters of the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) for urging members of the security agencies to positively defy instructions from the Kufuor government, which they considered illegal.

Mr. Tsatsu Tsikata, Victor Selormey, Kwame Perprah, Ibrahim Adam, Dan Abodakpi, George Sipa Yankey, were jailed under the Kufuor regime based prosecution initiated by Nana akufo-Addo.

Gen (rtd) Arnold Quainoo, Rear Admiral (rtd) Owusu Ansah, General (rtd) Nunoo Mensah, the late Rear Admirer Owusu Ansan and some others were also banned from visiting all military installations including the 37 Military Hospitals under Kufuor regime for a having a lunch with Mr. Rawlings in 2008.

A cameraman of Mr. Rawlings, Baba Hammer was also once beaten in 2008 by bodyguards of Nana Addo and his camera seized and smashed in the process, in the presence of Nana Addo, at Golden Tulip Hotel in Kumasi.

Mrs. Konadu Agyeman Rawlings was on trial during the Kufuor regime. But the prosecution was truncated by Joe Ghartey on the eve of Mr. John Kufuor’s exit from office.

President Rawlings, however, jokingly said: “I may not be very active on the campaign trail so you can rest assured that you probably won’t be hearing the ‘tie tia’.”

The ex-President told Nana Addo that he can have a field day on the campaign trail, saying he may not be actively involved in this election season.

According to the founder of the National Democratic Congress he was of the hope that the meeting will serve as a clear signal to supporters of both parties to conduct themselves in a civil manner before, during and after the election.

“I’m hoping that this meeting will also send a clear signal to our supporters that we will be expecting nothing less than a very vigilant but free and fair election devoid of provocations and to avoid pockets of areas we may consider as strongholds,” said Rawlings.

Mr. Rawlings is famously remembered for attending Nana Addo’s mother’s funeral at Kyebi during the Kufuor administration.

In response to Mr. Rawlings’ request, Nana Addo stressed it was time for Ghana’s democracy to mature to the extent where “the change of power in itself doesn’t pose a threat to any particular section of our society”, promising he was personally very keen on ensuring that was guaranteed.

“…There is nothing for anybody to be afraid of…” Nana assured and Mr. Rawlings replied, “I’m really glad to hear that…”

Former President Jerry John Rawlings and the flag-bearer of the opposition New Patriotic Party engaged in such an unusually friendly chat, showed great deference to each – former foes – that even Mr. Rawlings himself conceded “This is real bonanza; we’ve never seen this in Ghana before.”

Welcoming the NPP flag-bearer and his entourage, the former President said, “Nana, I will be playing the role of my own linguist, and to ask, amanea” to-wit, what is your mission?

The purpose of the visit, Nana Akufo-Addo said, was to start a good dialogue because “the time has come in our country where the principal actors in the political scene found the way to talk to each rather than at each other which has been the case in our country for a very long time.”

He said he was sure that all the political leaders were concerned about the need for the December polls to be conducted in good spirit and in a transparent and peaceful manner.

The NPP flagbearer said his visit was also to “assure you of my own commitment to a credible [electoral] process in this country.”

He said it was about time the increasingly chaotic and divisive politics gave way to a situation where “we all move together in a united manner.”