body-container-line-1
07.03.2014 Feature Article

Re: Rawlings left a 'legacy of indiscipline' for Ghana - Akosa

Re: Rawlings left a 'legacy of indiscipline' for Ghana - Akosa
07.03.2014 LISTEN

Today, Ghana is laughing loud and thankful to God for using Jerry John Rawlings to emancipate the country. Love him or hate him, his place in history is surely guaranteed. Besides our first President, Dr Kwame Nkrumah, no political leader has had as much of an impact on Ghana as Jerry John Rawlings, whose legacy for Ghana, ironically, is one of the most peaceful and democratic dispensations on the African continent.

The dislike for the ex-president is boxing many otherwise sensible people into a corner because they cannot bring themselves to see his achievements or agree with anything he says.

In the past some people like prof. Akosa tried to paint some picture that nothing was done in 20 years of Jerry Rawlings rule”. And some people wants to claimed they were the brains behind his success. Past administrations uses this line of reasoning to hide their incompetence. A well informed administration would have said "Not enough was done in 20 years". I will like to appeal to Prof. Akosa to either shut up or tell us what he did to help this country when he was the Director General of Ghana health service.

The following events took place during the 20 years of Jerry Rawlings when “nothing happened” some people like Prof. Akosa are trying to paint happened. According to the Economic Commission for Africa, poverty in Ghana has declined from 52 per cent to 40 per cent over the past period of 1992-2002.

Ghana was the first country in West Africa to get connected to the Internet in the 90s thanks to the foresight of the Rawlings/NDC administration. Today, Ghana's capital city of Accra boasts about thousands of Internet cafes, and every where people are now browsing even in their pockets.

Public telephone booths: Ghana had 30 in 1995. In 1998 it has mushroomed to 1,814. Decentralization of Government, i.e. creation of District Assemblies was implemented under him. Freedom of Press: Former president Kufuor and his cohorts want us to believe this happened in his time. Most of the FM stations, all independent TV stations, and private newspapers we have today, were established under the Jerry Rawlings administration. In the 90s we already had radio phone-ins, opposition papers (Accra Daily Mail, Statesman, Independent etc).

Ghana stock exchange was setup in February 1989 under Jerry Rawlings. According a United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization annual hunger report, after declining for years, the number of people in the world who are going hungry is on the rise. However, Ghana succeeded in reducing the number of undernourished people throughout the 1990s.

The only national theatre, and the most unique building we have in central Accra, was built in the 90s. Prior to this the art council, which was an eyesore was our national theatre. Aboadze Thermal Plant was built when Jerry Rawlings was in power.Tema was built expanded.

Mobile Phones networks: In the 90s,Ghana had 3 operators , while most Africa countries had none. Ghana was the first to get a digital network in West Africa under him. Education: In 1979, Ghana had 3 universities. Today there are many Government ones and private ones before he let office. If the climate was not good, how come private enterprise set these up?. We have a polytechnic in almost every region in; majority of them were built under his administration.

According to “the world bank” road networks in Kumasi, Northern, Brong Ahafo and other parts of the country have inproved considerably in the last years under him. Not npp regime. Only two companies in Africa, outside South Africa, had a market capitalization of more than $1 billion in the 90s: One was Ghana's Ashanti Goldfields. This was achieved under the Rawlings regime. In a desire to beautify and decongest Accra, the Kanda and the Sankara interchanges were consequently built under him.

Moslems were recognized under the Rawlings regime: Eid-Ul-Fitr was made a holiday in Ghana. Sports: Ghana won an African Nations Cup; Two U17 world soccer championships; two African club championship; Four world boxing titles. Today our national soccer team is a mockery,Although they are now appearing in the world cup.

Free & fair Elections: Npp will say dont go there because they came out with ''Stolen Verdict''. Rawlings was one of the few heads of states in Africa to have organized a free and fair election. Most African leaders who ruled or are ruling as long as Rawlings - Mobutu (Zaire), Siad Barre (Somalia), Mengistu Haile Mariam (Ethiopia), Mugabe (Zimbabwe), – left or will leave their country in chaos. …etc

It was said Rawlings Left Ghana in Huge debts?. In 2000, Ghana had a total debt of US$5.5 billion, accumulated since 1966 & not only within the last 20 years as some people in the past would want us to believe. In just years, our debts have ballooned. Atrocities were also said to be committed?. Most detractors remember the bloody days when Rawlings' supporters killed their opponents, the days of witch-hunts against the middle class, the revolutionary days. For his last years in power Rawlings was elected to office and under his rule Ghana has developed into a peaceful, democratic country.

Nobody can dispute the fact that atrocities were committed under Rawlings. However, only a dim-witted will disagree that atrocities were committed under so called Great presidents/heads of state; E.g. Kwame Nkrumah (Ghana, Political persecution), Roosevelt (USA, Slavery, racial discrimination, Lynching), Churchill (Britain, Colonization, racial discrimination), Mahatma Gandhi (India, Caste murders, discrimination) etc.

It's hard for me to contemplate why all the hullabalo about this great man. Prof. Akosa,let this legend be!!!!,He has left a great legacy better than what you are thinking.

Ibrahim Hardi 0208235615
Email;[email protected]

body-container-line