News:
April 27, 2012
National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member of Parliament for Adenta, Kojo Adu Asare is in awe of how former President Jerry Rawlings will campaign for the re-election of President John Mills after being critical of government.
According to him, former President Rawlings since the NDC took office has berated the President and his administration calling them “greedy bastards” and wondered what he [Rawlings] will tell Ghanaians to change their minds and vote for President Mills in the December polls.
“Ghanaians are not that gullible to swallow issues hook, line and sinker just because a particular person is saying it. People are wide awake; they can think and decipher issues. Ghanaians have gotten that sophisticated,” Kojo Adu Asare added.
Adu Asare was commenting on the frantic efforts being made by some Volta chiefs to reconcile Mr. Rawlings and President Mills to ensure unity in the party on Asempa FM’s Ekosii Sen programme Thursday.
Some eminent chiefs under the name Royals for peace and development met Mr. Rawlings and his wife, Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings, at his Ridge office on Tuesday to ascertain first hand information about the root cause of the animosity between them and the leadership of the NDC.
But former President Jerry Rawlings is demanding among others the exit of the NDC General Secretary, Johnson Asiedu Nketia before he joining the 2012 campaign of the ruling party.
However, the Adenta MP said President Mills’ track record is enough to secure him a re-election in the December elections.
“2012 election is going to be about President Mills, his track record [and] whatever he has stood for in the last three and half years. His track record is enough to push him wherever he has to go,” the Adenta MP stressed.
Kojo Adu Asare also called on the Volta chiefs to also visit President Mills to listen to his side of the story.
Adu Asare noted that President Mills must wean himself from any external pressures and prove to Ghanaians that he can make it based on his unprecedented achievements in just three and half years in office.
The NDC MP indicated that Ghanaians would not be swayed by the vile propaganda intended to rundown the government by its detractors, but would reward President Mills with another term in office.
However, he called on the leadership of the NDC to expedite action on its relationship with the former first couple and decide whether the Rawlingses will be part of the 2012 campaign trail.
“For me as an individual I am getting worried because we must know by a certain time whether the [Rawlingses would be part of the campaign], we cannot keep second guessing. If he [Rawlings] will not go with the party then we will prepare to fill in whatever vacuum that would be created”.
Meanwhile, Political Analyst, Edgar Wiredu a co-panelist on the programme said nobody in the NDC should assume or pretend to have greater stake in the party than Mr. Rawlings.
He indicated that a lot of people are in the ruling party because of the Rawlingses hence any attempt to alienate them from NDC could spell doom for the party.
Edgar Wiredu cautioned that the former President Rawlings’ enormous influence should not be underestimated since it could have adverse consequence on the government’s chances of retaining power in 2012.
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