Jerry John Rawlings the founder of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Party now believes he is paying an enormous political price by putting his chickens in one basket in supporting Atta Mills unconditionally for all these years. Mills has now become the Nation’s Commander in Chief and the leader of NDC. The Majority of his policies and actions have become an existential threat to the NDC’s founder Jerry John Rawlings in long-term political consequences of not full filling his party’s obligations. Rawlings did not realize that Mills is one of these politicians who pretends to be Loyal to their bosses, but they are actually not. They are a wolf in sheep’s clothing until they have power to show their true colors. By comparison Mills has proven his true color of character to Jerry Rawlings and his cronies through his appointments and also in handling the affairs of their party.

Rawlings is angry with Mills for disobeying the party’s political agenda and manifestations by building a Fante Confederation around him, many of whom are now his policy advisors. These political dilemmas have also created political tensions between Mills, John Mahama and Jerry John Rawlings. Rawlings has refused to speak with the Vice President on numerous oceans. Rawlings claims John Mahama has the upper hand in the Ministerial appointments and has favored his own ethnic groups within the party over those ethnic groups that Rawlings maintains have worked hard for the party to return to power. Rawlings wonders why Mills did not even acknowledge their input when the party was in opposition for the last eight years to create an environment for him to assume the presidency in Ghana. This information is coming from NDC deep- throat quarters who have also indicated the gang leaders who wanted PV Obeng out of Mills administration were Kojo Tsikata, Asiedu Nketiah, Kwame Peprah and co.

However, Rawlings has now realized that no matter how bad the situation is he cannot play ethnic politics within his own party he as did against the opposition NPP by playing the Akan tribal politics to win power for his party. Rawlings did not think about the unthinkable that the people of the Volta Region would be treated as other ethnic groups have been treated. Who would Rawlings has played ethnic politics on their behalf to create abhorrent division among them and other ethnic groups in Ghana will be treated as such. In addition, Rawlings has emphasized that the NDC is their party. Why is it they are being treated as second-class citizens within the party they believe is theirs? Why is it that they have been no major political appointments for their members in Mills administration?

The information I have received from some NDC members in New York State also signifies that they are angry towards Mills appointments for leaving the people of Volta Region out of grater positions. The transparency of Mills claiming the Volta Region as his second home without showing enough appreciation for their political contribution for his 2008 election is obvious. They say that after all they originally belonged to the UP/PP traditions and that they will just go back to their roots in the 2012 general elections and support their tradition. As I have always said those who think politics is about what people see on television or hear on the radio stations is what politics is all about have a serious political price to be paid for listening to these political commentators. Many of them have never taken a one hundred level class of Political Science in their lives, but they have the audacity to call themselves astute politicians. Mills and his so-called cronies or the Fante confederations believe they have assembled intelligent people around the Mills administration. They are capable of doing a better job than the previous NDC administration whose economic policies were a prescription for economic failure paralysis. As a result of that they don’t need advice from Rawlings and his cronies. The Awhoi boys are in charge now. They now have the hegemonic power to decide who gets what or gets any political appointments. Whether Rawlings likes it or not, they are in charge and there is nothing he can do about it. Many proponents who see Rawlings play tribal politics might see him as foolhardy. Now the tribal issue is in his face to deal with.

From; Nana Kofi Amankwah (New York)