The past few days has seen all manner of people take pot-shots at Former First Lady,
Mrs. Konadu Agyemang-Rawlings because a group of NDC sympathizers decided to
intensify their support for her to contest the position of flag bearer of the NDC
for the 2012 elections.
Mrs. Rawlings’ constant denial that she is not the one engineering the calls on her
to contest for the flag bearer slot has not been enough for the doomsayers.
So, they went after her with zeal, supported by their friends in the pro-NPP media.
They called her all kinds of names; the last time we heard, she was a coward
according to the verbose Allotey Jacobs who is yet to realize that now that he is no
longer confined to the Central Region, he needs to broaden his horizon. How dare he
describe Mrs. Rawlings as a coward! Can he go through just a quarter of what Mrs.
Rawlings has gone through to help bring the NDC to this stage?
Raymond Archer, editor of The Enquirer does not seem to listen to himself when he
talks. He claimed yesterday that Mrs. Rawlings was not marketable, the very claim
Obed Asamoah made about Prof. Mills a few years ago. So, what experience has Raymond
got in knowing who is marketable and who is not?
Mrs. Rawlings took so much bashing from different quarters yet, throughout all this,
no one has been able to provide one shred of evidence that she is behind the
agitation for her to contest for the position of flag bearer of the NDC for the 2012
polls.
The NDC is in government. National Security is at the behest of the government which
is controlled mostly by those who see everything evil, hear everything evil and say
everything evil about the Former First Lady. Yet, not one shred of evidence has been
given to Ghanaians to prove that she is behind the agitations.
All that Ghanaians have been fed is speculations from people who claim to be
political tacticians and therefore know the tactics she is using.
Now, the FEC of the party has stepped in to restore order with the party Chairman,
Dr. Kwabena Adjei, claiming that all so-called foot soldiers groups have been
banned. But we at the Daily Post hold that neither he nor the party’s
General-Secretary, Johnson Asiedu Nketia have the moral standing to deal with this
issue. Their bias is obvious. They have been at the forefront of badmouthing Former
President Rawlings in particular at the least opportunity. They are part of the
problem. The evidence is there.
In this era of constitutional democracy, it is laughable for anyone to claim to be
banning all groups especially foot-soldiers groups. No one can. Dr. Adjei and ‘Gen
Mosquito’ have no right to. Currently, in the U.S., the Tea Party movement is making
waves. They are a group of conservatives mobilizing support for the Republicans. Yet
they sometimes lash out at the Republicans as well. Who can say they have no right
to exist? So far as the 1992 constitution guarantees freedom of association and free
speech, no one can ban any group in Ghana be it pro-NDC nor pro-NPP.
So, when the dust finally settles, are we expecting Rawlings to come and sit at the
family table, eat, dine and dance with the cowards who hid behind newspapers and
radio stations to insult his wife?
NDC is not back in government because of the bravado of Kwesi Pratt nor the phantom
polls of Ben Ephson. Kwesi Pratt was among the people who helped Kufuor to come to
power at the expense of Pro. Mills in 2000. Ben Ephson said before the 2008 run-offs
that it was impossible for Mills to overturn a deficit of 103,000 votes to beat Nana
Akufo-Addo. He virtually predicted the defeat of the tax Professor. But, Rawlings
made things happen. He was here, there and everywhere for Prof. Mills. Sometimes, he
had to change his shirt twice in a day while on the campaign trail because of the
dust in the remote places he campaigned in.
Today, those who did not wish Mills well as well as those who prophesized his defeat
think they are the ones who must guide and advise him and not Rawlings who stood by
him through thick and thin.
NDC will crumble like a pack of cards in the unlikely event that Rawlings quits the
party. Yes, we can hear some people already saying he should quit. He is not
quitting. He formed the party whether they like it or not. So, if somebody is to
quit, then they should be the ones. Let them go form their own party and then they
would see how hard it is to form a party. Meat that claims it has fat must prove
itself by the fire.
Since Nkrumah's demise, has the CPP been able to win an election since the fourth
republican constitution was promulgated? What Nkrumah is to the CPP, Rawlings is to
the NDC. Period!
So, let those who are feeding fat today on Rawlings’ sacrifice and toils, those who
have been privileged by to be appointed to positions of trust and honour by
President Mills stop belching and vomiting on Rawlings’ feet.
Of course, Rawlings is no god. Neither is he infallible. Never has he claimed
sainthood either. But there is no doubt that he is the breath of the NDC. The least
those who are benefitting from his toils today can do is show him and his wife
respect.
It is ironic that within the Mills government today, those who are loyalists of
Rawlings are seen as enemies of Mills. But, this would not deter us on the Daily
Post from identifying ourselves with him. We are proud to associate ourselves with
Rawlings morning, afternoon and evening. This does not make us anti-Mills. We
contributed our quota, however small, to bring President Mills to power and would
continue to do so to help him realize his BETTER GHANA agenda. And let no one close
to the centre of power today think that he or she is more NDC than the rest of us or
wants Mills to succeed than the rest of us.