I will deal with power-seeking Kwamena Ahwoi – Rawlings
Founder of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), former President Jerry John Rawlings has vowed to “deal” with fellow party stalwart, Professor Kwamena Ahwoi, for seeking control of the party.
Former President Rawlings believes Kwamena Ahwoi and other unnamed people are orchestrating to capture the NDC for their own interests.
“Much as I find it tiring and tedious to be engaging in self-defence when I have given my all, all these years, I will soon deal with the callous agenda of bile by the likes of Kwamena Ahwoi, who are desperately seeking control of the NDC party,” Mr Rawlings stated in a Facebook post on Monday, August 3.
The former President’s anger stems from Prof Ahwoi’s book–Working with Rawling–which has been received with mixed reactions by founding members of the NDC.
He was of the view that the NDC “could, should and has survived on the authority of the word but if care is not taken, it will collapse and drown as has been happening, on the word of those in authority”.
The 263-page book chronicled some of the activities of Mr Rawlings during his tenure as Head of State and the President of Ghana from December 31, 1981 to January 7, 2001.
Prof Ahwoi served as Minister for Local Government and Rural Development from 1990 to 2001 under Rawlings’ military regime and the former President’s civilian administration.
In the new book, Prof Ahwoi pointed fingers at Mr Rawlings for his ill-treatment of Professor Evans Atta Mills.
Professor Mills was Vice President under Mr Rawlings from 1997 to 2001 and later became President in 2009 till July 24, 2012, when he died in office.
Among other incidents involving several other people, Professor Ahwoi recounted a situation when Mr Rawlings squeezed the testicles of the then NDC General Secretary, Bede Ziedeng.
Professor Ahwoi stated in his book that Mr Rawlings later indicated that “I should have squeezed them harder” when he was confronted about the matter.
But in his Facebook page, the former President warned that the machinations of Prof Ahwoi and co could spell doom for the party.
“The NDC could, should and has survived on the authority of the word but if care is not taken, it will collapse and drown as has been happening, on the word of those in authority,” he said.
Volta Regional House of chiefs
Meanwhile, former President has also expressed “my gratitude to Togbe Afede XIV, President of the National House of Chiefs for taking the initiative to lead a delegation of the Volta Region House of Chiefs to the border areas in the region to ascertain things for themselves.”
The statement was in reference to claims of the government sending the military to some border towns and communities across the country.
The military personnel have been accused of preventing persons from particular backgrounds from registering in the ongoing voter registration exercise–a charge the Ghana Armed Forces has denied.
But Mr Rawlings said, “Some of the unsightly things we see on the Internet do not speak well of us locally and internationally.”
Otumfuor
He also congratulated the Asantehene, Otumfuor Osei Tutu II, for the steps he had taken to seriously protect the environment and also to thank him for tampering justice with mercy on Nana Bantamahene.
