Rawlings Smokes Peace Pipe With Veep

Jerry John Rawlings and Paa Kwesi Amissah-Arthur
Former President Jerry John Rawlings has revealed how he used to have some quarrels with Vice President Paa Kwesi Amissah-Arthur, which possibly resulted in a strained relationship between the two of them.

Jerry, National Democratic Congress (NDC) founder, made the shocking disclosure during the 8 national delegates' congress of the party which was held at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium in Kumasi at the weekend.

Mr. Rawlings stated that he no longer begrudged the vice president because he had in recent times proven to him (Rawlings) that he (veep) is a truthful person.

According to Mr. Rawlings, when he added the positive and the negative sides of the vice president, the positives clearly far outweigh the negatives so the veep was now in his (Rawlings) good books.

The NDC founder said the vice president earned his (Rawlings) love last Tuesday whilst delivering a tribute during the memorial ceremony of the late Louis Casley Hayford.

He said he was touched about how Mr. Amissah-Arthur narrated how the PNDC/NDC administrations, presided over by he (Rawlings), provided the vision which ensured that electricity was extended to all corners of the country.

'This man made me love him that day,' adding that he could not resist going to hold him right in front of everybody at the event and said, 'It is truthful people like you who should help us write our history.'

Animosity
Mr. Rawlings then said, 'I had quarrels with him in the past but when I add the positives and the negatives, the positives far outweigh the negatives,' attracting a spontaneous applause from the crowd.

The NDC founder, without mincing words, thanked President John Dramani Mahama for making a good decision by selecting a truthful person like Mr. Amissah-Arthur as his vice saying, 'Mr. President, thank you for the choice of this man.'

Corruption
Continuing with his prepared speech, Mr. Rawlings expressed grave concern about corrupt practices in the NDC government by some appointees which as a result, had given the government and the NDC a bad image.

He also hammered on the economic challenges facing the country which as a result, had brought about hopelessness and disenchantment among a section of the population.

Mr. Rawlings stressed the need for government to immediately find antidotes to these nagging issues raised by him so that the NDC's image and that of the government's would change.

'We have to accept that the NDC government also faces huge challenges in the political and economic management of the country. We have to realize that perceptions of corruption have placed the image of the government and the party into disrepute.

'We have to admit that some political appointees and party officials have allowed their individual parochial interests to override the national interest. Today could change some of that.

'We cannot play the ostrich and overlook the many challenges we have created on the winding path we have cut for ourselves,' Mr. Rawlings said.

FROM I.F.Joe Awuah Jnr & Ernest Kofi Adu, K'si, Kumasi.