Mahama-Led NDC Gov’t “Suffering Seriously Under A Climate Of Corruption” – Rawlings.
21-Aug-2014
He is BACK and has started firing on all cylinders.
You are forgiven if you perceived the above catch-phrase as coming from action hero and cigar-chomping Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Former President Jerry John Rawlings has finally broken his unusual reticence over incidents of corrupt acts allegedly recorded under the current administration by describing the Mahama-led National Democratic Congress (NDC) government as “suffering seriously under a cloud and climate of corruption.”
The NDC Founder, whose loud silence on the state of the party and government as well the poor economic circumstances confronting Ghana has confounded many, broke his silence in an extensive interview with Metro Television’s Frank Nyonator on Monday.
Indeed, it has almost become a cliché that the former president will take it upon himself to always beat the anti-corruption war drums, criticize past governments save his administration for their little or no role played in the fight against the canker.
An incurable critic of the John Kufuor and the John Mills administrations, his rampant outburst against these governments and others, even earned him a nickname ‘Mr. Boom.’
But for months now, he has been on the quiet, leading some to speculate that the days of Mr Rawlings’ ‘boom’ speeches were over.
However, anyone wondering whether the NDC founder will ever ‘roar’ again due to his inexplicable silence must begin to revise their notes, because the former President has finally ended his self-imposed gag.
A couple of weeks ago, he described as appalling the unprecedented levels of corruption in the country and charged President Mahama to expose appointees who practice the canker and offensive show of opulence.
Speaking at an honorary ceremony at the University of Education, Winneba, Mr Rawlings said it is time for the president to show a clear commitment to fighting corruption in the country.
“Our leaders must be able to play by the book. People with conscience are sometimes appalled by the extreme insensitivity displayed by some political appointees…
“…The unprecedented levels of corruption, offensive show of power and opulence by some at a time when our country requires prudence and frugality is something that I call on President Mahama and his vice to set their eyes on,” Rawlings stressed
Two weeks after that explosive speech, the former president is back at what he knows best to do.
In a no-holds barred interview, a visibly worried-looking Rawlings said: “Some of the things that some of us know is unbecoming of people in high office. We are hoping that the machinery will deal with those issues as quickly as possible so as to improve on the image of the executive.”
Sounding helpless, however, Rawlings wondered whether the President was confronting corruption with enough commitment, asking:
“How many times haven’t I made this call, how many times hasn’t he (Mahama) assured the public of dealing with the issues of corruption and yet we are not seeing enough that will help to clear the image of the government?” he said.
Source: Nana Kwadwo Asante/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana
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