JJ Rawlings Is Unconsciously Destroying The Future Of NDC

Some of us thought that after Jerry John Rawlings was inhibited by our constitution to constest future presidential elections, he would at least temporally relinquish political ambitions and patriotically pledge his support to his successor the late John Evans Atta Mills as the leader of National Democratic Congress (NDC ) and also do all humanly possible to move the party to the next political stage.

That didn't happen in 2000 after his term of office was over, is likely not going to happen any time soon because his penchant for power knows no limit despite having ruled the nation 11 years as a military man and 8 as civilian. Instead he tried to place his wife Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings on the party. That was fiercely resisted not only by party stalwarts, also by delegates who voted massively at Sunyani between 8 - 10 July 2011 to retain the late John Evan Atta Mills on NDC ticket as the flagbearer. The primary flagbearership election was the prelude of NDC and Rawlings's factionalism.

One would have thought the manner the wife was trounced at the congress would be eye-opener to the fact that NDC as party has grown by far democratically with internal structures principled on values and practice after almost 20 years of its existence as dynamic political organization but surprisingly the 69 year old former military leader won't budge his bid to either make himself, his wife or who knows who he wants to impose on the party as his puppet.

Party stalwarts and grassroots won't allow the age-old (pardon the pun) military demeanor attitudinal poised former founder of the NDC to have his way, so harassment or haranguing was exerted on the NDC on the part of former president. The harassment and haranguing always come in form of barrage of accusations of the current leadership of the party is neck-deep entrenched in corruption

As if the constant bashing by the former president JJ Rawlings ( nicknamed as Second Jesus or Saviour for the revolution and house cleaning exercise ) of the political party which he won the first democratically conducted election in the fourth republic, the act of washing of dirty linen in public was at its maximum level wasn't enough, the former president is on the record of openly being in bed with the largest opposition party NPP with the hope to cause defeat to the very party he won elections twice as civilian president.

Publicly bashing the party as the most corrupt political organisation ever existed played negatively against the NDC but to be in bed with political nemesis of NDC, not to talk about his wife forming a breakway party, with the aim of making NDC weak, is condemnable. I believe there is anti-corruption pact between Rawlings and the leadership of NPP of which Rawlings's support for NPP was hinged but no matter how well intended the pact might be is illegal because it only promote individual ideology. The anti-corruption pact must be collective, that is it must be inter-party.

In enssence, my assessment of the former leader of NDC after leaving office is that of egoism and personal aggrandizement. Now the former president's attitude towards NDC is practically the opposite of any well-meaning Ghanaian citizen, particularly the Ewes. That is, Ewes are known for solidarity with others and custodians of the culture of "live and let's live". In other words, the former president's behavior is practically un-Ewe hence starkly alone in his cocky and obstresperous attacks of disapprobation of NDC.

The question is; does he think that we don't know that the Tsikata family is completely against him and on the part of NDC? Of course we do! On the other hand, several reasons exist to make the former president humble and temporarily relegate to the background and give the very people who have all these years supported him throughout, first as a military leader and later as civilian president, a space to live and explore their political ambitions in the NDC and manisfest them on national political scene.

One thing is taking the advantage of June 4th celebration to admonish NDC to uphold accountability, probity and in fact revitalize the administratively controling structures to curb corruption, another is singling out the party as the only corrupt party. The truth of matter is corruption is a national problem, that is NPP, NDC, etc. all engage in activities deemed corrupt. More so, according to some sources not even the former president can pass the test of corruption, simply put he ( JJ ) has a lot of skeletons in his cupboard. So it will take collective effort, not a one-man show to effectively combat corruption.

My advice to the former president is he has a lot to gain keeping his cool than his constant verbal altercation with folks from the umbrella fraternity. His incessant verbal attacks mostly on NDC which earns him the alias "Dr. Boom" is paradigm of the razzle-dazzle arrogance couched in sheer ignorance puts him in great risk of being expelled from the very party he formed from a scratch; l have seen it before!

There are several cases where founders or co-founders have been sacked from their set-up organizations, even in some cases where one will not think of that possibility. Who could ever imagen the dismissal Muhammad Yunus, the Nobel Peace Prize winner for founding the Grameen bank and pioneering the concepts microcredit and microfinance for misdemeanor? But that was exactly what happened.

Those of us from the Volta Region, we have our own stories but we aren't calling for his head or baying his blood. We are ready to let things off our chests to start from the beginning; talking about underdevelopment of the region during his days in office, spanning to the havoc wreaked)))) on our parents by the actions of detachments of soldiers. In the late 70s and early 80s the era of border guards and worse and that of the militiamen, the so-called "PDC" days were born. Gone are the days when our parents were dealt with soldier-cum-pdc laws -- not Ghana laws - because they were found guilty of smugglings across the Aflao-Togo border.

The call of new leadership in NDC is the right direction but the immediate past president Mahama has always responded with witty affirmation, with effect, his resolve to support whomsoever emerges victorious in the upcoming NDC congress is a telling that he isn't running. But it is obvious that rather than standing on public podium to make such call, the best would have been through internal party structures.

Let's not be deceived, according to social scientists or experts, people's decision of voting is largely determined by their economic situations though they frown on corruption but they think it is the responsibility of state institutions to fight corruption not them. JJ Rawlings's booms though put NDC in the bad political spotlight, not necessarily caused the defeat of folks of the umbrella family in 7th December 2016 general election as being asserted by the former president. But this scientific revelation shouldn't seen as embodiment to endulge in corruption rather the ideals of NDC duly espoused by the party's constitution must be upheld in search of new leadership and the fight against corruption

Above everything, the former president must also learn to harbour spirit of humility or humbleness because the wagginess, facetiousness and drollery will not advance the cause of his children which by wisdom of ages has it that for them to be successful they need not sponge off the wealth and fame of their father but make their own claims, they must earn whichever status they want to achieve in life and this can't explain the restlessness of the former president

Last but not the least, Ghanaians are wise not to be taken for granted because his (Rawlings's) leadership qualities were not perfect either, though l have affinity to his revolution but his inability to solve national perennial problems like light and water shortages is evident till date. Or should we talk about GDP expansion which forced Kufour's administration to declare Ghana HIPC after taking from NDC in 2000?

The reality here is, he has done his very best at his time, soon came Kufour, then the late Mills, Subsequently Mahama and now we have Akufo-Addo is biblical provenance of to every time there is a season. That is, a time will come when Ghanaians will have another leader after Akufo-Addo, so is a trend!

As for the corruption charges, when he points one finger at the very men who helped him to the peak of his career, the rest four must be pointing directly back at him. Because, who exactly bred and nurtured the "greedy bastards"?

Agobodzo, Richard
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