[ 2012-08-02 ]

Mills' Death: I pity former President Rawlings - Pratt



“Quite frankly and quite honestly, what I feel
towards former President Rawlings is pity. I pity
him.” That is according to the Managing Editor of
the Insight Newspaper, Kwesi Pratt Jnr.

Mr. Pratt believes Ghanaians must be sad for what
has become of a man who has ruled the longest in
the history of Ghana. He made these comments on
Breakfast XYZ on Thursday.

Former President J.J. Rawlings was on the BBC
moments after the government announced the demise
of President JEA Mills on Tuesday July 24, 2012.

He told the BBC that had President Mills received
wise counsel and done something wiser, his life on
earth could have been prolonged six or seven
months longer.

But Mr. Pratt said: “I had elected not to talk
about former President Rawlings. One, because it
is totally unnecessary. Now everybody knows who he
is… He himself has written his own testimonial. I
mean if you go and speak on the BBC, what you say
is available to the whole world.”

He said the subsequent inscriptions of Mr
Rawlings in the Book of Condolence for President
Mills typifies what has become of a man who could
have become a powerful international leader.




How The Mighty Have Fallen?

“For somebody who has been in power for the
length of time that he has been in power; for
somebody who has been acclaimed as the founder of
the ruling party and so on, and for who he is, I
think it is most unfortunate that at this time of
his life all of these developments have occurred;
and I think that he should be pitied,” Mr. Pratt
said.

He indicated that rather than castigate Mr.
Rawlings and drag his name in the mad, the
attitude of Ghanaians towards the former president
should be one of sadness and pity.

“It is sad that he has come to this level;
exceedingly sad that he has come to this level. I
don’t feel like condemning him. I don’t feel like
doing what everybody else is doing to him because
it is very, very sad that he has come to this
level.”

He said he wishes that something could be done to
salvage Mr. Rawlings' damaged reputation and make
him rise again, saying, “I genuinely wish that he
can be saved from, from…I think I will keep it at
that.”

On whether President John Dramani Mahama must do
everything to bring the Rawlingses back to the NDC
fold, Mr. Pratt said it is entirely up to the
former first couple to show the way.

“It is not up to His Excellency John Dramani
Mahama to bring him on board… The Rawlingses will
have to decide for themselves what they want to
do. And if they decide for themselves what they
want to do, I’m quite sure that everybody within
the NDC will be exceedingly happy if they decide
to return and to play a positive role.”

Source - RadioXYZonline.com

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