A youth group in the Volta Region, Volta Youth for Development (VYD) has issued a stern warning to the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) to stop witch-hunting former President Jerry John Rawlings or face their wrath.

The Group has accused the NDC of bribing Dr Henry Herbert Lartey, the flag bearer of the Great Consolidated Popular Party (GCPP), to petition the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) and the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) to probe into the $2 million gift Mr Rawlings got from late Nigerian dictator Sani Abacha.

“We see this as a great harassment of our hero and also the former leader of both the NDC and Ghana, and so the group together with all Voltarians are issuing a serious warning to them to drop the witch-hunt of our icon and rather concentrate on more pressing issues like the economic hardship, unemployment, the numerous corruption cases and others that pose serious threats to the human survival in this country under this government than the frivolous charges and calumny against a true statesman,” VYD said in a statement.

Aside from the probe into the Abacha gift, VYD cited various examples where members of the NDC have abused and ridiculed the former president. Some examples being: “Some leaders in the NDC party inciting members of the NDC to hoot at our hero during the 2012 NDC primaries at Sunyani; the leadership of the NDC party describing our hero as a barking dog; the General Secretary of the NDC describing and mocking at Jerry John Rawlings as too old to join their campaign with their main agenda being to completely sideline him from all activities in the party; the leaders of the NDC influencing one of their small boys by name Stephen Atubiga to intentionally ridicule the former President through disrespectfully ordering him to annul his marriage with his wife, Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings”.

The group said they will find trouble with anyone who dares try to disrespect or intimidate or harass or harm “our hero and grandfather Jerry John Rawlings”.

“It has become most sad and annoying especially because most of these abuse, intimidation and attack of Jerry John Rawlings had to come from the very people who are enjoying the fruits of a party he built with his own sweat and blood,” at the risk of his life, the group said.

The group has, therefore, called on President John Mahama to “warn his people to get off the back of former President Jerry John Rawlings or face the full wrath of the people of Volta Region”.