I rejected Appiah Menka’s attempt to make peace with Rawlings – Baako confesses

Veteran Journalist, Abdul Malik Kwaku Baako has confessed he refused to ‘make’ peace with his one-time close friend late ex-President Jerry John Rawlings despite an effort by the late venerable statesman, Akenten Appiah Menka.

Mr. Appiah Menka a lawyer and industrialist after the Constitution Review exercise sent a delegation to Mr. Baako because Mr Rawlings had indicated that he was amenable to a resolution of the long-standing feud between them.

But speaking on Peace FM monitored by Kasapafmonline.com, Mr. Baako stated that he was just not ready at the time to reconcile with Mr.Rawlings who he has fallen out with over the past 40 years.

“I wasn’t psychologically prepared for that. My issue with Rawlings is not personal, it has nothing to do with his person. As I’ve said he was a very fine, social personality and had a fantastic sense of humour. So if you’re talking about the person, he’s a fantastic gentleman, make no mistake about that…I came that close to him. But my issue with him is political, his overthrow of the democratically elected Limann’s administration.”

He prayed for Mr Rawlings’ soul to rest in peace and expressed his sincerest condolences over their loss.

It would be recalled that about one month ago, veteran broadcaster Kwami Sefa Kayi admonished Mr. Baako to visit Mr. Rawlings and express his condolences to him over the loss of his over 100 years mother.

However, Mr Baako declined saying he fears Mr. Rawlings might embarrass him when he visits to express his condolences as Mr Rawlings is known to be unpredictable.

“…As to whether I will personally go and do that I ask who am I? See, my problem with Rawlings is political it has nothing to do with a personal thing. I’ve said it before he has a perfect sense of humor, he’s a fantastic gentleman if you interact with him. His politics is what I detest, simple. That doesn’t mean that I should hate him.

“If the GJA had asked me to join them to go and express condolences to Mr. Rawlings I may have considered it. If I had gone it would have been the first time I will be meeting him since November 1979. We’ve never met since then,…and that was in his house at the time he was staying in the UTC Flat.

Mr Baako added: “Let me tell you one thing, inasmuch as I say he has a perfect sense of humor, he also has a certain spark. If I visit him, he could look at me in the face and ask ‘what are you looking for in my house? You want me to go there so he embarrasses me?”

Abdul Malik Kweku Baako had once branded the former president a ‘licensed irritant” and an incoherent person.