Rawlings Spotted In Togo

The former head of state Flt. Lt. Jerry John Rawlings was spotted in Lomé, the capital of Togo, around 5 o'clock last Wednesday evening on an outing whose circumstances have kept tongues wagging and heads knocking in a guessing game as to the real purpose.

Our sources were not sure whether he was on a private visit to Togo or was merely on transit through that neighbouring country.

However, some sources at the Aflao border said Flt. Lt. Rawlings' fleeting presence in Lomé on Wednesday generated a lot of public interest, but sharp-witted Togolese security personnel kept the curious crowd at bay by allowing the former President to be respectably seated in his vehicle at the Customs and Immigration post, while he went through customs formalities.

Another source hinted that the ex-President was seen in Lomé in the company of some very high profile Togolese ministers, but this has not been confirmed.

The observers said with the benefit of hindsight, anytime the ex-President shows up in Togo, Ghana develops goose pimples.

This is due to the political antecedents surrounding the overthrow of civilian President Hilla Limann by the Flt. Lt. in December, 1981.

Historians recall that shortly after Flt. Lt. Jerry John Rawlings handed over power to Dr. Hilla Limann, after democratic elections in 1979, the Flt. Lieutenant travelled to a well-known North African country as part of the long-term conspiracy to overthrow the legitimate government of Ghana.

As part of the diabolical plan, Flt. Lt. Rawlings travelled through Cotonou in Benin on his way from the North African country, and later came to Ghana on transit from Lomé in September, 1981.

While in Lomé, Flt. Lt. Rawlings was briefly invited for investigations by the Togolese security, but was later released on the intervention of the civilian head of state, Dr. Limann, the very man he was planning to overthrow.

A few months after that, Flt. Lt. Rawlings successfully manoeuvred the delicate ropes of conspiracy to deftly shoot his way to overthrow the constitutionally elected government of President Limann.

As a result, anytime Flt; Lt. Rawlings visits Lomé, it is feared that history may repeat itself.

“We hope that this time around, the Togolese authorities are only providing Rawlings with diplomatic protocol and not helping to facilitate another coup d'etat against President John Agyekum Kufuor in Ghana,” diplomatic sources warned.

“May God forbid,” an Aflao bird watcher declared in contempt of history.