An open letter to the President: President Mahama, please listen to the former President Jerry Rawlings

Dear President,

For quite a long time, I know you to be listening to his Excellency former President Rawlings' advice and I would like to urge you to carry on with it.

As a founder of our great AKATAMANSO Party, nobody can underestimate his crowd pulling charisma and charm when it comes to electioneering campaign. President Rawlings really sacrificed for this party especially, during the year 2000 and 2004 campaign when I happened to be part of his entourage, crisscrossing the nook and cranny of this country to campaign for the late president Mills. There were instances that we had to campaign in darkness, but Jerry Rawlings was not perturbed and feared for his life.

However, it was a divine decision that we lost the elections (2000-2004). But that did not discourage this enthusiastic man from committing himself for the party. When the time for the 2008 elections was due, President Rawlings doubled-down on his effort to campaign house to house for the late president Atta Mills, while some leading members of the NDC who were not optimistic of victory fled the country, evade the campaign and traveled to the US for a 'medical check up'. But soon after we won the elections these guys rush back home to occupy juicy ministerial posts, by virtue of their closeness to the late president Mills.

They are a whole bunch of opportunists and gold diggers that Jerry Rawlings refers to as “babies with teeth to bite”, “dwarfs”, etc, who suddenly invaded the presidency at the castle and were inciting the late president Mills against Jerry Rawlings, whenever he would criticize the late president in good faith.

They formed a click of team “B”, who do not have the interest of the party at heart.

What impressed me so far was that, since Jerry Rawlings advice to president Mahama to weed out those charlatans at the presidency during our recent congress in Kumasi, president Mahama prove that he would heed to the advice of Jerry Rawlings, because he begins to relegate them to a far distance background, such that, it appears they do not exist.

In spite of the bitter criticism and insult President Rawlings had had from some members of the party, which he formed he still did not leave the party, and attended the congress in Kumasi which those people never believe he would.

Just like President Clinton in the US who, by virtue of his charisma and charm is making a positive impact towards re-election of Barrack Obama, former president Rawlings is also an assert to the party with much charisma and charm nationwide and will be a great plus to our campaign.

You made him notice that, you are a unifier, and fighting to bring the rank and file of the party together, but as you do this please beware of those guys the former president is referring to, who have the potentials to cause disaffection to the party.

Mr. Rawlings see you as a man of humility, magnanimity, honesty and integrity- as a result, he declared his unflinching support for you. As your kith and kin and so dear to my heart, I wish to see your government become a success so please listen to him.

Even the Vice-President Ammisah Arthur called for the need to seek advice of the former president, by virtue of his repertoire of experience as the first president of the fourth republic.

There is a ray of hope that, we will win this elections as former president predicted in a meeting with chiefs in the Volta region last month. But please beware of those same people who created bad-blood between the late president Mills and former president Rawlings and do not ignore him after we win the elections, but only to try to negotiate with him when we are approaching another elections.

The success of your government is dear to my heart and I dream of the day to see you win the elections of 2012 and 2016, and I hope if you abide by his advice of getting rid of these charlatans, you will succeed.

Yours Truly,
Yusif Yunusah, Treasure, NDC New York & Former NDC Greater Accra Regional Propaganda Secretary

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