ALHAJI BATURE TO PREZ MILLS: PATCH UP WITH RAWLINGS OR FACE THE CONSEQUENCES

The Managing Editor of the Bilingual Free Press Alhaji Bature is cautioning
the ruling National Democratic Congress will bid farewell to power if the
wrangling within the party persists. What is more, Alhaji Bature, who also
is a sympathizer of the party, says these wrangling will threaten the unity
of the party if nothing is done to solve it. ³Some of us, our motivation is
the unity and stability of the National Democracy, because we know that
without unity, the NDC is threatened. The NDC, if it loses power, is not
likely to remain a viable political party². ³I am not seeing the differences
being addressed; until those differences are addressed, I am afraid, I do
not see the NDC retaining power in 2012², Alhaji Bature warns in an
interview he had on Xfm 95.1, a privately owned commercial radios station in
Accra. His concerns are based on the fact that the while the vast experience
of former President Jerry John Rawlings will be needed in governance, he
(Ex-president Rawlings) has simply been sidelined by the government. This he
says is the root cause of the foot soldiers agitations and other wrangling
within the party; which he says is having ³a telling effect on the
government and governance². ³Look, some of the issues confronting the
government today, would not have come up if this problem was not there. This
issue of foot soldiers; if former President Rawlings was involved in the
government, can you imagine him speaking to the foot soldiers and what their
response will be? Because, they listen to him, they admire him.² ³And let me
tell you, many people joined the NDC because of their love for Rawlings, not
the ideologies. So if the founder was to be seen to be playing some roles in
government, some of these problems will not have come up², says Alhaji
Bature rather passionately. It is in this light that he is calling on the
two leaders to patch up their differences or the party risks the
consequences. He says the problem can be solved only if President John Mills
and the former first couple realize that it would be in their own interest
to have it solved. ³It is in their own interest that they shelve their
personal narrow interest and resolve the problem and come back as one big
family². He laments the fact that the problem, which could have been solved
from it teething stage was allowed to escalate into this big one that stands
to cause the NDC a second berth in government. He mildly chastised the
elders of the party who looked on almost unconcerned when the problem
started, saying ³but I can understand them, they were constrained and
handicapped. You have the Ex-President who virtually made all the council of
elders what they areŠ so most of them are unable to sit down and have a
genuine and frank discussion with him². ³So there has been a void, a vacuum,
and this is what has created this disagreement between the Ex-president and
the current President.² ³Look, I am speaking to you on authority, because I
have had the privilege to interact with both sides before the NDC even came
to power, and I saw this problem, but unfortunately, they did not have
people who could manage those problems successfully². Alhaji Bature prasied
Mills¹-led government for good governance but added that it would have been
better if both factions within the party are patched up.

Story by Abena Asiedua Tenkorang/ Xfm 95.1/ Accra/ Ghana