'Rawlings offered to buy me ticket to Mecca' - Kweku Baako Jnr reveals

Managing Editor of the New Crusading Guide newspaper Abdul Malik Kweku Baako Jnr has vouched for his arch political rival's kind nature revealing, President Rawlings had offered  to sponsor him to the annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca.

"I am not exactly an anti-Rawlings person. I detest his politics. But he is very nice person socially", Kweku Baako, said on Joy FM's  political affairs program Newsfile Saturday.

His comments was a preface to his main contribution as he prepared to discuss former President Jerry John Rawlings' recent but predictable attack against the government during a ceremony to confer on him an honorary doctrate by  the University of Education, Winneba, last Thursday.

"I am told recently he even told [personal assistant] Kofi Adams to ensure that I got a ticket to go to Mecca", the Muslim journalist revealed.

"For him to have thought of me in that sense, that is a nice person I do not hate Rawlings".

It is not clear if Baako acutally received the ticket.

Former President Jerry John Rawlings
Kweku Baako, a 'licensed' critic of the Rawlings had had occasion to describe the former president in very harsh terms as often as Rawlings makes public statements

He has branded the former president a 'licensed irritant" and an incoherent person.

But June 4th of every year which was once a national holiday under President Rawlings' tenure is a special occasion for an anti-Rawlings rant.

The day which marked the overthrow of a military government was struck out as a holiday after President John Kufuor assumed the reins of government in 2001

Baako A key activist in the June 4, 1979 uprising has said Flt. Lt. Jerry John Rawlings murdered the principles of June 4 and should be lucky he is still alive.

Nonetheless, Kweku Baako said times are easing his radical posture towards Rawlings.

"As we are all growing everybody is becoming moderate about some of these things" Story by Ghana|Myjoyonline.com|Edwin.appiah|[email protected]