NDC gov is still corrupt -Rawlings

Former President Jerry John Rawlings says most Ghanaians were gripped with fear and anxiety during the leadership of late President Mills, because of the high levels of injustice and corruption that had engulfed the nation.

He, however, said, with the coming of President John Dramani Mahama, the hopes of Ghanaians were being restored.

According to him, it was sad that the values that the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) cherished so much were relegated to the background for almost four years, while in government.

He noted the late President's administration used security personnel in Ho to stop aggrieved youth from demonstrating against the wrongs being perpetuated against the people by his government.

Mr. Rawlings, who was addressing an emergency meeting of the Volta Region House of Chiefs in Ho yesterday, stressed that the coming of President Mahama had given hope to the followers of the NDC, as their fears of losing the 2012 election hasd been assuaged, but was quick to add that that should not be seen as anything to rely on to carry the party into the forthcoming general elections.

According to Rawlings, whether the NDC loses or wins the elections, there were still serious issues that ought to be tackled in order to sanitise the system, noting that there was still a high level of corrupt practices within the ruling government.

Rawlings noted that one area, where the NDC government had failed, was the inability of the government to accord the needed respect to people in authority, and urged the chiefs and queenmothers to demand the needed respect at all times.

The former President stressed that Ghana had reached a very serious milestone, as a result of the depth of corrupt practices going on in the NDC-led government, and that if nothing was done about it, the government would fail.

He said the 2012 general elections was between the ruling NDC and the New Patriotic Party (NPP), adding that Ghanaians know very well the history of the two main parties in the country, and that it would not be too easy to doubt a possible clash between the two parties.

Rawlings noted that the NDC-led government had inflicted on Ghanaians a high level of poverty and suffering, a situation, he said, had put stress on the majority of the people.

He pointed out that in recent times, people in countries across the world revolted against their leaders and caused various changes that many people in the country were very uncomfortable about, adding that 'our revolution took place in 1979, which I was involved to bring change, which I did,' but the current situation in the country is not the best, and that things that happened across the world could be experienced, if the necessary steps were not taken to stop it.

The former President declared that it was very clear that the ruling NDC was afraid to go into opposition if it loses the 2012 general elections, a development, he said, was very unfortunate, because the NDC, as a party, was only comfortable while in power, just because of the corrupt practices within the government.

The President of the Volta Region House of Chiefs, Togbe Afede XIV, earlier, told the House that the emergency meeting was under the request of the former President, and said the chiefs and people of the region were ready to ensure that there was peace during and after the elections, because without peace, there could be no meaningful development.

Togbe Afede stressed the need for Ghanaians to ensure that peace prevails in the country, which would help bring the needed jobs to the people.