[ 2015-05-25 ]

Rawlings: Don’t take my criticism of Mills' presidency personal
Former President Jerry Rawlings says his
criticisms of the Mills administration, should not
be taken personal at all.

He says while he understands the discomfiture of
the family of late Prof Mills over his
(Rawlings’) criticism of his presidency, there
can be no denying the fact that the late President
Mills had a difficult presidency.

“We cannot be in denial of the fact that he had
a difficult presidency. I have on several
occasions complimented him for being an excellent
Vice President,” Rawlings told Graphiconline on
Sunday.

Rawlings had a fortnight ago called for what he
described as "a re-invigorated and re-energised
party machinery" to take advantage of current
happenings and "... do what needs to be done"
ahead of the 2016 elections, explaining that
"there was an air of desperation and near panic
when the Prof passed" and that the "NDC would have
lost terribly had God not called the Prof."

At the weekend, Prof Mills’ family expressed
disapproval of Rawlings’ comments and virtually
barred him from attending any official event
commemorating his death.

But Rawlings says the reaction from the family is
understandable and that he would respect their
decision.

He said not many can take the truth about the 1966
coup that toppled Ghana’s first president Dr.
Kwame Nkrumah, and the fact also remains that
since the time of President Mills, the NDC has
become the horse to be ridden by some
Nkrumahists.

“The reaction from the super-Nkrumahists who are
going berserk because they don’t know which
party they want to ride is nauseating. There are
some genuine Nkrumahists in the NDC whom we
respect and have worked with.

“But there are also those working on the fringes
of every party who feel that unless the NDC and
some of its personalities are destroyed, their
aspirations will not be met. Yet their aspirations
are nowhere near what Nkrumah stood for,” he
lamented.

The former president said there is a culture of
deceit and denial which is hurting the country in
many ways. “Yet the NDC derives her strength
from standing for what is just and correct. If I
cannot remind our party of the sources and causes
of our weaknesses we will continue taking refuge
in denial only to face a brutal reality one day.

“A question we should be asking ourselves
looking at where we stand today as an NDC party
will be, will you be half as comfortable as the
NPP (New Patriotic Party) in opposition, will you
feel just as secure if you were in opposition as
well? I hope this drama will give NDC supporters a
little insight into the power play to control the
NDC,” he said.

Mills was vice-president from 1997 to 2001 under
President Jerry Rawlings before serving later as
President of Ghana from 2009 until his death in
2012.

Source - Daily Graphic

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