Open Letter To Jerry John Rawlings

Dear J.J.

I know there are lots of people who would want to wish you away, and some even want to expunge you and your era altogether out of our history, but I believe that you are very much part of history; as the longest serving head of state of Ghana. Your reign encompassed the most turbulent period of our history. You had been described by the world as the “enfant terrible“, which was later revised to be “the strong man of Ghana”. The current democratic dispensation in which we are, was nurtured by you; during the 31st Dec., revolution you promised to make your coup the last of coups which to date has proven to be true. You handed power over to a democratically elected government; whether willingly or not, you handed over! You had your faults, but that serves to prove that you are also human and prone to error as any other human. There are others like Mugabe who simply refuses to be part of any talk of a power handover. It is against this backdrop that I was very disappointed with you refusing to attend the second inauguration of His Excellency J.A. Kufour the president of the republic of Ghana.

This was at least a chance for you to prove to Ghanaians that President Kufour is not your enemy; what a beautiful sight it would be to see you congratulate someone who has been chosen by the people. You have had your day and done your bit , you must know that you are 1/20millionth of Ghana and that you alone cannot do it all, others must also do their bit; so if President Kufour's time has come, give him your support; after all twenty years in international politics is some experience.

As someone who is used to being obeyed, I know you are finding it very hard to cope with being instructed, but such is life. It has happened to a lot of people, not only you. I suggest that you take counselling therapy to overcome your frustrations at not being in control. I would also suggest that you expend your energies to help in marketing Ghana as a country which you have helped put back on the world map. Let us see you as father of Ghana instead of NDC founder because you are bigger than that. Proclaim our democracy in good light and the government of the day will also reward you. You need them as much as they need you. The entrenched positions will not help anyone. The government waves and olive branch in the form Christmas gifts and you reject it, it is just a token but it goes a long way to say that they do not wish you ill. I remember your June 4 1979 speech on radio in which you exhorted the officers of the army to be the men that they are if they have nothing to hide, why can't you also be the man that you are if you have nothing against president Kufour.

Show us that you are the principled J.J. Rawlings

Okyem Duku