Former President Jerry John Rawlings has challenged claims in Professor Kwamena Ahwoi’s ‘Working with Rawlings’ book that he did not play an active role in the National Democratic Congress’ campaign ahead of the 2008 election which Professor John Atta Mills won on the ticket of the NDC.
Mr. Rawlings insisted that he and his wife, Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings, “were actually an integral part of the NDC campaign structure for the 2008 election.”
Prof. Ahwoi appears to have been commenting on the purportedly strained relationship between Mr. Rawlings and Prof. Mills.
Whilst Mr. Rawlings admits that he was very critical of President Mills’ administration, he maintains that “this was done openly and with the best of intentions.”
In a statement from his office, Mr. Rawlings said claims he was absent during the national campaign in 2008 were false.
“President Rawlings and Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings travelled extensively to campaign for candidate Mills and these campaigns were covered by the media and are a matter of public record. The documentary titled – An African Election – filmed during the 2008 campaign and election visibly shows the former president on the campaign trail with steely and unparalleled determination,” the statement noted.
Mr. Rawlings recounted that he started his campaign in Sankore in the then Brong Ahafo Region, and subsequently visited all of Ghana’s regions.
“President Rawlings traversed the whole country and made headlines by being the first to reach Tain, in the Brong Ahafo Region when that town became the eye of the storm during the election,” he added.
On his wife’s role, Mr. Rawlings said Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings “campaigned in not less than 15 major markets in the Greater Accra Region, after which she moved straight to the Volta Region to start work.”
In contrast, the former President said Prof. Ahwoi’s contribution ought to be questioned.
“Neither Kwamena Ahwoi, his brother nor majority of their cronies were on the campaign trail, preferring to stay in the comforts of their homes in Accra, perpetually leaving the hard work of getting the party re-elected to others, but always being first in line for political appointments.”
Source: citinewsroom
About The Author
