If there is any process ongoing to reconcile former President Jerry John Rawlings and his successor-president, John Agyekum Kufuor, well, it has failed on arrival as the former is again accusing the latter of being the cause of floods and general construction indiscipline in Ghana.
Mr Rawlings posits that Kufuor is the pacesetter for illegal structures that stand in waterways, causing annual floods and that anyone else guilty of the crime is only following Kufuor’s lead.
The Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) called on Mr. Rawlings at his office in Accra on Thursday, October 31, 2019, where he took the opportunity to comment on current happenings in Ghana including the recent mass failures in law school. Mr Rawlings said such incidents [mass failures] could destroy the future of the youth, and “by destroying merit, you are killing the fire of idealism in the youth.”
More noticeable was the swipe at former president John Kufuor for “building” Villagio and acquiring African Regent hotel under the guise of making it a library or clinic but maintaining it as a hotel.
Rawlings said even though Kufuor had complained African Regent was overlooking his house and posed a security threat, he acquired it.
Mr Rawlings said Villagio, which he insists is Kufuor’s only legacy, was built on a waterway that gave other builders in Accra and elsewhere the guts to also cite illegal houses and factories on waterways, learning from “Kufuor’s Villagio”.
“Nkrumah has left his legacy, the freedom and Justice arch… I am saying that’s something he left. Do you want to know the one for Kufuor? Those Villagio villages,” Rawlings said with passion.
“…The Kufuor one. The Villagio villages were built on the waterway… the southern part of the motorway… why won’t others do it? Their houses and their factories… That’s his legacy! If he can do it, why can’t others do it? He blocked the waterway!” Rawlings stressed.
On African Regent hotel, Mr. Rawlings said that is also President Kufuor’s legacy acquired to be a library or museum which became a lie.
“That’s your legacy… you said you will take over the hotel because it was overlooking your house…” Rawlings boomed, almost as if President Kufuor was standing before him. “Double standards!”, he screamed.