Senior cadre fears Rawlings' woes may worsen

A senior cadre and a close ally to the Rawlingses, Dr Ayirebi Acquah says the conduct and pronouncements of the former president could land him in a situation which could amount to his mistreatment in the party he founded.

According to him, after 19 years of ruling Ghana, ex-president Jerry John Rawlings feels neglected since the people he used to advise and consult with are no longer giving him the opportunity to do same.

Sharing his thoughts on e.tv Ghana’s flagship programme, Awake, Dr Acquah also expressed his thoughts concerning the impact that the former president’s wife had had on his current state and her aspiration to vie for president in Ghana.

He also commented on the former president’s pronouncements during the recently held June 4 celebrations at Aflao where ex-president Rawliings is on record to have said that the ruling NDC government is not observing the principles and values of the June 4 uprising which sought to emphasise the values of probity, accountability and intergrity.

The former president also expressed doubts about the Mills-led administration to fight corruption.

However, Dr Acquah stood to differ, noting that, “NDC members are not an island unto themselves. They are part of Ghanaians.  So I cannot say they are guilty of not observing the principles. It is Ghanaians generally.”

NDC AS POLITICAL CUSTODIANS AND CORRUPTION

According to Dr Aquah, “The NDC members are political custodians. I don’t accept any criticisms that NDC members are not upholding the values or principles of the June 4 uprising. We are all Ghanaians and we must strive together to create a generation of the future who will observe these values.

“Well, if he is saying that… I serve in this government. I’m not saying government is corrupt and I don’t have any reasons to believe that.”

EX-PRESIDENT RAWLINGS’ LOYALTY

When host, Rashida Nasamu sought his thoughts on the ex-president’s loyalty to the party and how his pronouncements were likely to affect the party in the 2012 elections, Dr Acquah noted that, the former president’s comments only come in the wake of dejection and neglect.

According to him, “a person who was used to consulting people on a daily basis if for one reason or the other finds himself today alone without the benefit of seeing people, conversing with them, consulting them and receiving their pieces of advice and so one, that person will never be his usual self anymore. Some people call this withdrawal symptom.”

CONFIDANTS ARE MORE IMPORTANT THAN CARS AND HOUSES

Article 71 of the 1992 Constitution provides a separate procedure for determining the emoluments and salaries of specific office holders, especially those of the President and Members of Parliament, even though their salaries were from the public purse.

However, Dr Acquah believes that such emoluments as houses and cars are not as important as having a confidant around a former president who would constantly advise him and further take advice from him to the ruling government in furtherance of political stability in the country.

He, therefore, recommended that “When the former president is leaving office, I think strongly that, it would have been proactive if one officer or two or more were put in the office of the former president to be advising him. Having a spokesperson is not the same as having people around to guide him.”

He cited the ongoing problems in the NDC as an example of the effects that such disregard could lead to.  “If this has not been the norm, looking at the kind of problems the NDC is having now it’s about time one or two presidential aids are sent to him to be a source of information, advise, wisdom and so on. If you leave him alone to Kofi Adams and his wife, what do you expect? It’s a general observation I’m making which I think is not only applicable and specific to Rawlings. I suspect very strongly that in other jurisdictions, the office of a former head of state is staffed with aids that are in position to assist him to maintain his level of dignity.

“I am not too sure if this has been done for any of our ex presidents. If it has not been done, I recommend that it should be done for both and when President Mills retires. These are more important things than cars and houses. I think so"

RESPECT FOR FORMER PRESIDENTS

Regarding comments being made by the former president, this is what Dr Acquah had to say; “No humanbeing talks wisdom all the time. No humanbeing will be right all the time. But for someone who has been associated with “booms”; when he says unpalatable things we call it boom, when genuinely he says something alright, we call it boom.

He also cautioned Ghanaians and the media to be circumspect about the way issues are blown out in the country.

He said, “I think we should not continue as a country who will be seen by the outside world as people who disgrace and kill our leaders.”

THE KONADU FACTOR

According to Dr Acquah, the former president’s wife can be described as a “co-president” other than a wife.

He said Nana Konadu served as a constant source of advice; be it good or bad, to the former president.

He, however, held a personal reservation to her aspiration as a president of Ghana, but was quick to add that she had contributed one way or the other to the success of the former president during his reign as president for 19 years.”

He noted that, “as the saying goes, behind the success of a man there must be a mother. When your wife handles you so well, she assumes all the traits, characteristics of a mother. So Nana did well behind a husband called JJ Rawlings. We are all happy that he soft landed Ghana as a democratic country. She did well. If she has any ambition to become the president of Ghana, that is a totally different issue. I may have my reservations. As the mother, she must have been co-president of Ghana for 19 years. I’m saying that she was a constant source of advice good or bad. So if you have been part of a success, I think that is most important.”

FUTURE OF NDC AND GHANA’S ELECTIONEERING PROCESS

On his thoughts about the upcoming general election, Dr Acquah without hesitation declared victory for the NDC.

However, he held his reservations about how elections were conducted in the country.

He said “If I had my own way, I wouldn’t allow 2012 to be declared an election year. Even the very people who have been practicing democratic systems of government don’t use 12 months to do electioneering campaigns to elect a president and MPs. Naturally, where on earth is this being done. 

This is not a good environment. Look at the way the cedi is depreciating because of uncertainties over a period of 12 months. It’s not proper. We are a young evolving democracy. We can’t afford to spend 12 months campaigning.”The 73-year old Dr.Ayirebi Aquah has been a close ally of former president Rawlings since the early 1980’s. 

Although there seems to be divisions between the NDC, with some members expressing their loyalty to the former president and others for President Mills, Dr Acquah, however, says his loyalty to the two are on equal grounds.

Jasmine Arku / etvghana.com