The former President Jerry John Rawlings was spotted weeping bitterly. I wondered what could cause the man I have always admired so much and considered too strong to shed tears over whatever situation. He has always shown that he is a strong man in the African perspective. In all the difficult times during his rule, i never saw the Flt Lt in such a mood. Even when his finger nails were pulled off his face did not show the pain I saw him exhibit on this last time I caught a glance at the Statesman at Kumasi on the 4th of June.

I wanted to know what could cause the founder of the ruling Party to shed such tears in the full view of his numerous admirers who were gathered to catch "the promised boom speech". I was told a few reasons for the unexpected downpour of the sacred tears of the Charismatic leader a few of which I will divulge to you. In fact when I heard the cause of his weeping I repected him the more, because if I were him I could have done worst than just "weeping". Our people say "if you refuse to feel the pain, people dont stop offending you". So he was justified at least by me for letting people know he had such excruciating pains in his heart.

I was told that until the former president met his chosen heir, Prof John Evans Atta Mills he had some men aroung him he could load his gun and give to and sleep comfortably under their watch. Some of such men were Dr Obed Asamoah, longest serving minister as Attorney General and Minister of Interior under Rawlings and Gussie Tandor. His decision to impose Prof Atta Mills on them as the flagbearer of the party he fouded made those people his enemies. They deserted him and formed their own parties. If I remember well Dr Obed formed the Democratic Freedom party whilst Gussie Tandor formed the Reform Party. They were peaved at him because the founder of NDC has preferred the new face in NDC and Ghanaian politics over them who had stayed with him through the tick and thin. Dr Obed's relationship with the Rawlingses was further soared by the Rawlingses refusal to persuade Prof Mills to choose him as his running mate for the 2000 elections. Many others followed the quee and fled with the agrieved elders. The NDC was nearly pattitioned because the then leader and founder stood by Prof Mills inspite of the opposition his inner circle men showed. He went ahead to do the infamous "Swedru declaration". Many people including the two gentlemen mentioned here distanced themselves from former President Rawlings. What make him Cry though is not because those people left him nor is it because they have turned to be his enemies.

The cause of his cry is because the man he stood by(prof Mills) has turned round to play romance with those people who turned into his (former pres Rawlings) enemies because of his (Mills) candidature whilst he (Papa J) still remains an enemy to them because of him(Pres Mills). He cry because he has been betrayed by his chosen heir who will rather welcome Obed Asamoah and Gussie Tandor at the castle rather than the man who preferred him(Pres Mills) over them. He has now labelled him a "terrorist". President Mills has sourounded himself with people that the Former President thinks are outsiders of his party. President mills is married to people the founder believes are a threat to him and his party and as many times as he has complained the man behind the steering wheel of the "Yutung" bus has made up his mind not to change the "team b". To hell with the founders ideas. This further increased his tears because he remember the law professor told him and all Ghanaians that he will consult him(Former pres Rawlings) 24hours a day. He is now, Excuse me to say "the fool". After entering office he has not only refused to consult him or seek his advice but has virtually ignored any suggestion he has laid before him.

He still sobbed deeply so I was moved to listen again if there was another reason apart from this. And yes there is. The former President and his wife prayed on the then Candidate Mills to use Betty Mould Iddrisu as his running mate. He (Mills) is said to have told the founder and his wife to give him time to reflect over it. As hard as they pushed him he refused their plea and rather went for H.E John Dramani Mahama. A move which infuriated the founder and other party faithfuls who think that John Mahama had not contributed enough for their return from opposition. There was a beef between Betty and the then Candidate Mills but Ministerial appointmemts given to The former Attorney General and current Education Minister has seen the lover of the Rawlingses turn her back to them. She has openly showed her support for pres Mills, the man who refused her as his running mate and made clear his disapproval of Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings' (the one who fought for her to have become the first lady vice president in Ghana) candidature.

He wept bitterly because Pres Mills calculatively has made him more unpopular than ever before in his career as politician. He (former Pres Rawlings) fired Victor Smith his former employee as spokesman with a text message. Maybe he considered him inconpetent to handle such a small office. President Mills saw the same man(Victor Smith) competent enough to represent Ghana as an ambassador in the Check Republic. Not just that Victor smith had the gust to tell the former president that listen and let me advise you. He rebuked the former President for some of his utterances against the Mills led administration of which he is of course a part. Pres Mills never restrained him from speaking to the founder of the party and so he (Smith) was further strengthened to tell the founder of the umbrella under which he is now taking a cool breeze that he (Rawlings) was afraid of his wife will leave him that is why he is pretending to be in support of her bid to contest sitting president Mills. Victor Smith is the one who made Ghanaians know the liar Former President Rawlings is in the issue of the Ya Na Tape. He had kept that secret all this while, why now? The answer is simple he doesnt what the damage it causes the Rawlingses. He is glad where is; with pres Atta Mills the "betrayer". Anyone in contrast to the former president now is a lover of President Mills, unfortunately that is how it looks like or maybe that is how it is.

Can you immagine, Allottey Jacobs telling the Former President, Flt Lt Rawlings to go to Tefle and rest and play with his grand children (I dont know of any grand child though or maybe Allotey was teasing him for not having any) because he doesnt make sense any more and he is still happily working for the Mills led administration as communications director for the central region? Who knows, president Mills is happy when his boys pass such comments against the man who brought him to the lime light in Ghanaian Politics. The man who took his hand and treaded on every ground accross Ghana campaigning to make him a president. If it wasnt for Rawlings, who born dog? This is why he (Rawlings) is weeping but people are intentionally refusing to understand him. I understood him this last time I saw him. One thing made me believe the extent of the damage Mills has caused him when I heard him call himself a fool for not being careful enough in choosing the right kind of people who could have continued his dreams. He was sad.

I saw Rawlings weeping because he has sacrificed a lot to make President Mills what he is today but the latter has betrayed him and exposed him to ridicule. Former President Rawlings' reputation has been damaged during the time of his own party than when even his opposition was in power. Who immagined it could take this long for the former first family to be relocated to a befitting residence after he lost his residence to one of the mysterious fire outbreaks we have experienced as a nation during Pres Mills rule? His ex-gratia I learnt has not even been paid yet. Will you be queit if you were former President Rawlings? So he weeps and the weeping doesn't hurt him any more. I know there are others he could not make public. His tongue had cleaved to the roof of his mouth, he was dumbfounded. He never knew Uncle Atta will stab him in the back like this. He has regretted for imposing him on his people but it is too late. I know Sunyani will be the straw that will break the camels neck because non of the "greedy bastards" will put a thumb on Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings. A vote for her could have consoled the founder, but I dont see it coming. He has been betrayed and will be chased out of his own party. He has seen it coming, and I still see him weeping even in the future.

President Attah Mills has betrayed Rawlings to the extent that he prefer to employ, celebrate and promote Nkrumah's CPP ideologies rather than those of Rawlings' NDC which he is leading. He has made friend with his (Rawlings) adversaries and made him a third person. His boys paint Rawling the founder of tbe party they are following and he (Mills) is giggling secretly.

Papa J, Due, due ne amane hunu. Barima nsu.

To be continued.

Noah D. Asare, Frankfurt, Germany.