Rawlings Insults Rich Men

FORMER PRESIDENT Jerry John Rawlings has taken his fury to another level, heaping barrage of insults on affluent Ghanaians describing them as cocaine dealers and armed robbers.

With life in opposition virtually having a toll on him, the former military dictator emphatically stated that Ghanaians who were living affluent lifestyles in this “President Kufuor-led bad governance era” are making their riches from dubious means.  

“Unless you deal in illegal activities like cocaine trafficking and armed robbery, there is no way you can become rich in these bad times of the country's history under President Kufuor's administration,” he yelled.

He added that all those riding in expensive cars and living in mansions in these hard times amassed their wealth through crooked lifestyles, stating there is no way one can genuinely become rich in the face of the appalling leadership skills of the NPP government.  

The former President was addressing a rally at Old Tafo, a suburb of Kumasi on Friday as part of his campaign tour of the Ashanti region to support the National Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate, Prof. Evans Atta Mills in his campaigns.

With no evidence to buttress his claim, Mr. Rawlings said statistics available to him indicated that a meagre 20 percent of Ghana's population was living well whilst the remaining 80 percent was wallowing in poverty.

This, he observed, was because the NPP government had totally collapsed the sound foundation for economic transformation laid by the NDC government.

Sounding embittered, the former dictator charged the electorate, especially supporters of his party, to be bold and fight with all their might to ensure that the corrupt NPP government was kicked out of power in the coming polls.

He said Ghanaians deserve the suffering they are going through because they made a mistake by voting the NDC out in the 2000 polls and replacing it with the NPP which does not boast of competence, integrity and experience to lead the country to prosperity.

“God intentionally imposed the NPP government on Ghanaians to show to them how wicked and uncaring the President Kufuor administration is when compared to the NDC.”

Prior to the rally, the former President, accompanied by the party's bigwigs in the region toured Pankrono, a suburb of Kumasi where he held series of discussions with the townsfolk with the aim of winning their votes for the NDC.

Charging from all angles, Mr. Rawlings turned his rage on President Kufuor, saying the latter had no moral right to condemn the numerous projects embarked upon by the NDC government.

 “President Kufuor, in his attempt to attain political power, falsely accused the NDC government of doing nothing, knowing very well that we achieved more during our tenure, especially in the areas of road construction which helped to transport foodstuffs from the hinterlands to the city.”

Still attacking President Kufuor, he said whilst the NDC brought wealth to the populace, the NPP government had brought bloodshed and immense hardships to Ghanaians, reiterating the need for the electorate to vote the NDC back to power to save them from their distress.

He said President Kufuor was the most uncaring president in the annals of the country, saying “he has neglected the populace to use the country's resources to build a hotel for his son in Accra”.

Former President Rawlings described the NDC as a democratic party that has the interest of the people at heart, and appealed to the electorate especially those in Kumasi to vote massively for the NDC.

He said the NDC compared to the NPP did more for the Ashanti region and implored residents of the region to join the NDC to oust the ruling party in the December polls, promising that the NDC would initiate more projects in the region when it attains political power.

From Stella Danso, Kumasi