RAWLINGS – RELUCTANT DEMOCRAT says Wereko Brobby aka Tarzan

I respectfully disagree with Tarzan. In Tarzan’s scathing article, he objected to tributes in which Rawlings was referred to as founder of the 4th Republic, describing him as a “reluctant democrat”.

Rawlings was a congenital rebel according to Tarzan. He lived that way consistently throughout his life. Good or bad, we must appreciate consistency. Rawlings had the right to be sceptical. Multiparty democracy had morphed into one-party state under Nkrumah and one-ethnicity state under Busia. Just 14months after coming to power Busia’s former CIA handlers predicted another coup or even worse, a civil war. Jerry did not believe the party politics kind of democracy would work for us. The problem with Jerry was that he did not have the depth to prescribe a better alternative. By the way, has this joke of a democracy worked?

No military coupist accepts challenge to his power easily. In that way, Rawlings has no competitor in Africa, not even close 2nd. Those who even came through the ballot box like Nkrumah, Mugabe, Nujoma, and others did not leave. A former military serial coupist handing over power and retiring at 53 years was extraordinarily remarkable by any standard. That was why wise people who understood power and human behaviour like Mandela hailed him. Who changes easily? Look at what the so-called democrats did in Parliament just because a puppet Speaker was going to be changed. Yet, the same people think a man who committed high treason to take-over power, would accept change easily. Some Ghanaians set standards for others they would not even dream for themselves.

There was too much hypocrisy in Tarzan’s write up.

He accused Rawlings of wanting to entrench his coup days as national holidays. Kufuor was sworn-in on 7th January 2001, 6 days after, he was the guest of honour at Eyadema’s 35th anniversary of his 13th January coup. Good or bad, consistency is important.

Rawlings, brutal dictator yet when he presented a revised memorandum on Energy, Rawlings accepted it. He Tarzan should go and submit anything contrary to what Nana has said openly and see the reaction. Dictator my foot. Some people live in an echo chamber, they hear only their noise.

Read also: Former Ghana President Jerry John Rawlings Dead at 73

Nana and Tarzan organized Kume Preko because of 5% VAT. Why didn’t the Kufuor government that he was part of drop VAT? What is VAT under Nana? 5% or 12.5%? People died because of this unprincipled Kume Preko, led by these unprincipled characters.

The constitution was written for Rawlings. Even a JSS student would not say that. Rawlings governed with the least number of Ministers (68). Nana went with 126. Rawlings governed with the least # of MPs, MMDCEs, SC judges (9) and least interfered with the EC. He lost the 31st December holiday in Court and he did not pack the court to change the decision. How many JC judges were under Kufuor? Under Nana, we have 18. The largest SC per capita. Who has abused this constitution more than Nana? Dictator my foot again.

Rawlings governed for almost 20 years, yet he incurred less debt than Nana in 4 years. Can Tarzan tell me financial scandals involving Rawlings himself, a minister or a relative? We are not even ashamed when we turn the truth on its head.

Recently on TV, Rawlings said PV and DF Annan ran the show. He sat in cabinet meetings like any other minister. He rhetorically said, “how much do I know?” No Ghanaian leader has ever openly accepted his inadequacies before not even clueless Mahama and Nana.

Talking about Rawlings’ mood. This should be no news to him who knew Rawlings as a rebel way back in the 1960s in Achimota. It was a myth people created about him anyway. Tarzan said Rawlings accepted his revision of energy policy, his fluctuating mood notwithstanding. Confusion galore. By the way, did he ever say anything he knew Kufuor would not like or for that matter does any Ghanaian say anything without checking his employer, the President’s “mood” on it? Hypocrites who have destroyed our country.

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In his very critical book, Kwamena Ahwoi said, no matter Rawlings’ initial reaction to an advice, he would think about it again and almost always agreed later on. He said, it might be because of his military background. Can Tarzan say the same about Kufuor or Nana. Absolute hypocrisy.

According to Ahwoi, Kojo Tsikata and DF Annan were the ones who over a period convinced Rawlings to go constitutional. He could have refused, so it is to his glorious credit that he changed his mind. Who tried to undermine the 4th Republic? Nana-led boycott of Parliament 1992. According to Nana, Adu-Boahen with 30% of the votes won the elections. Lunacy galore. Do you blame Rawlings for a decision taken by pseudo-democrats of this NPP tradition? Rawlings with a one-party state did not change the constitution to his advantage. Can you imagine Nana with such power? I just do not know how some people think.

Rawlings was very flawed: impulsive, ruthless, and violent. I lived before his time, through his and living after his time, and truly, he was the most remarkable of them all despite his flaws. I am against the overthrow of Limann, the only elected leader I consider a near-democrat. Victor Owusu, Tarzan’s uncle and leader of the united opposition, the All People’s Party agreed with the overthrow and said so on BBC. Kufuor agreed and joined Rawlings government. Some people should let our ears rest. We are tired of this hypocrisy.

Problematic Rawlings is the Founder of this problematic 4th Republic. The midwives were Kojo Tsikata and Annan. Nana, Adu Boahen and part of NPP tried to abort the 4th Republic. That is the true history.

Tarzan, let our ears rest!

Written by Nii Amu Darko | President, ARM | 28/01/2021