Opinions of Sunday, 4 January 2009
Columnist: Buabeng, K. Adusei
When all is said and done and the political whirlwind is settled, the good people of Ghana, both home and abroad who for one reason or the other have little or no acumen will know the main rationale behind the vigorous struggle of this guy who is refusing to be addressed by his real title-Ex-President, Rawlings. However, some of us who are aware of his ulterior motive for which he is moving all mountains to clear the way for the main opposition party to win this election have been watching him with rapt attention. I want to remind Mr. Rawlings that Mill or no Mills, his time to attest to the “good and bad stuff” he did before and during his reign is gradually drawing to a close.
I am please to add my voice to the stream of peace loving Ghanaians across the globe in commending our fellow Ghanaians home for the wonderful manner they have conducted themselves before, during and after the just ended elections. Who said we could not do this? We have once again demonstrated to the pundits who predicted evil that, the black man is still capable of handling his own affairs. Those who thought that Ghana would be muddled after the elections have been proven wrong.
Nevertheless, I want to draw the attention of the reading public to the fact that our Ex-President has and is still acting in such a way that tells us that he is rather the struggling bull who is about to be slaughtered and that he wished that he is voted into power again. Hence his inciting words of threat and intimidation.
Let it be known to Mr. Rawlings that at all cost, his deeds would be known. If not today, posterity would get a wind of it as long as the country called Ghana is in existence even after he is dead and gone. I want to remind Mr. Rawlings that, we know that he is trying to avoid his impending court action and prosecution for his actions during his reign as the president of the land, which is why he is relentlessly working to bring his cronies to power so that he could manipulate the good people of Ghana again through his puppet – Dr. Prof Omega Atta Mills. But this time, there is no doubt that the people of Ghana are wide awake, sorry Mr. Ex-president. Gone are the days when you broke the political collarbone and twisted the constitutional wrist of Ghana by drafting and convincing the people of Ghana to approve your indemnity clause enshrined in the constitution in a referendum. Little did you think that time is not inert.
In fact, as at now, I am very bewildered as to whether or not Mr. Rawlings wants the people of Ghana to vote him into power again or what exactly his thoughts are. Many Ex-presidents have behaved more credibly than what this one is doing, the most recent example being Mr. Nelson Mandela of our own continent. May God bless this statesman.
I have been reading with awe and utmost apprehension some utterances of an ex-president, who posits that he loves his country to death, and that he will do everything for her, the recent one being a threat about people going to be “falling on their own sward”, and that, the sitting president to whom he has shown unrelenting defiance and arrogance ever since the president was sworn into power as the president of Ghana to “stop potential madness before it escalates”.
Let it be known again to the ex-president that some of us who were around during his so called revolution and the dubious election of 1992 are cognizant of what he and his people can do, but we are thankful that this will not happen again under the watchful eyes of Ghanaian, not this time. This time, we are wide awake and alert as well. He can go ahead by peddling and beating the war drums, but we are united now more than ever. We the peace loving people of Ghana advise that he desist from the tribal politics of old and stop threatening the people of his political world bank about following and dancing to his dissension tune and leave Ghanaian politics alone.
Now to the purported presidential candidate who the academia anticipated that he is capable, and that he can talk for himself. Little did we know that in his shadow cabinet, he has offered the ex-president the position of a press- secretary, shame on him and his political mentor, who wants to relive his presidency for life. It is time you be yourself, Mr. Mills, if you want to be the president as you are anxiously fighting for.
To Mr. Ex-president, my piece of counsel is that, in as much as you are bent on becoming a president again through your political puppet, be mindful that, to whom much is given, much is as well expected. The whole world is watching and listening as well to some of the utterances you are making. Make no mistake; the world will chase you, thanks to the current world political dispensation. Meanwhile, it is obvious that one of the political contenders will become the president of our dear country but let us remember that, Ghana has ceased to be the “son” of Mr. Ex-president since Y2K when he was unseated by the current president. Get life and be a countryman from whom good counsel is sought. Good day Mr. Ex-president.
By: K. Adusei Buabeng. NEW Jersey, US.