Late Jerry John Rawlings
A leading member of National Democratic Congress (NDC), Enoch Teye Mensah, aka E.T. Mensah, has revealed how some leaders of the opposition party, during the Presidency of former John Mahama, hurled insults at the party founder, Jerry John Rawlings, who passed on suddenly, aged 73.
The late former President, he said during an interview yesterday on ‘Adom FM’ in Accra, suffered unfair treatment at the hands of the NDC who have now turned around to create the impression that Mr. Rawlings was so dear to the hearts of the party’s gurus.
E.T. Mensah was a confidante of the former President and served as Youth and Sports Minister under him and was a longstanding NDC MP for Ningo-Prampram Constituency until the Mahama administration ‘schemed’ from the Flagstaff House to get him replaced by Sam George as NDC MP in the 2016 general election, which they lost heavily to then opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP).
Top Executives
He said some top executive members of the party abused and hurled insults at Mr. Rawlings while denying him any respect. This he said severed the relationship between the founder and the NDC.
“The treatment and the disrespected was too much. Meanwhile, some of them, their fathers run away to Nigeria and other places, and don’t know how he (Rawlings) brought the party to where it is today,” an emotional E.T. fired.
Continuing he said that “clearly, you can make references to his comments about babies with sharp teeth. You dare not go on a radio station to insult somebody when he Rawlings was in charge,” he said.
E.T Mensah said he was unsurprised about the frosty relationship between Rawlings and the NDC, as well as the cordial relationship between Rawlings and President Akufo-Addo and the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
“No, it is not surprising, everyone knows what is good. Nana Akufo-Addo respects Papa J (Mr. Rawlings as he was affectionately called) as the founder of the Fourth Republic. Nana Akufo-Addo is someone who respects and takes advice, and Rawlings likes people like that,” he said.
NDC Future
Touching on the future of the NDC, he indicated that “what the NDC needs is discipline. What the new boys are doing today is not right. Insults. It is not right.”
He said “something has to be done. But it appears it has come to stay. There was so much discipline in the NDC when the party was formed but it is different now.”
He described the death of former President Rawlings as painful and shocking.
Another Minister
Emma Mitchell, a Minister of Trade and Industry under Mr. Rawlings, revealed that she resigned as minister because of “a very strong difference” she had with the late former President.
She said on ‘Joy FM’ that the late Rawlings had his own challenges as a leader, something that soiled a good relationship they had and not even his persuasion that she should return to his government changed her mind.
“That is our tradition, we don’t speak ill of the dead but we did have our differences at some stage. And with the differences which happen in any relationship, I thought the best way was to opt-out of the administration,” Ms. Mitchell stated.
She added, “Later on, after I opted out, he tried to get me back but I was already out of the country. After some time, he realized what I stood for and I believe he respected my view…”
Ms. Mitchell did not go deeper into what happened between her and the late former President, but she noted that JJ Rawlings apologized when he came to appreciate her view on the said matter that caused friction in their working relationship.
“Not too long afterwards, I received a message from him that he found out the truth that I did not take any money and that the money was sent to where it was supposed to go,” she disclosed.
Ms. Mitchell noted that Rawlings’s respect for her grew and she reconciled with him before he passed away on Thursday, November 12, 2020.
NDC Vigil
On Sunday night, the NDC held a vigil at the Obra Spot at Kwame Nkrumah Circle in Accra in remembrance of Mr. Rawlings.
It was attended by NDC’s flag bearer former President John Dramani Mahama and his running mate, Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, and a host of NDC gurus and the party’s supporters.
Two of Mr. Rawlings’ children graced the event – Zanetor Agyemang-Rawlings, who is the NDC MP for Korley Klottey, and Kimathi Rawlings.
However, the widow, former First Lady Nana Konadu Agyemang-Rawlings, who broke ranks with them in 2011 after the NDC hounded her out of the party, and later formed her own National Democratic Party (NDP), was not present.
Hypocritical Stunt
E.T. Mensah’s remarks comes on the heels of a hastily drawn up project by the NDC to create an impression of deference for a man the party loved to hate because of his incessant queries about the indiscipline in the party.
The party’s general secretary, Johnson Asiedu Nketia, the man who described the former President as ‘taming the barking dog’ is openly shedding what his critics say is ‘crocodile tears’ following the passing of Rawlings.
No Campaign
The former President’s decision not to campaign for the NDC during the current campaign season did not come as a surprise to many who witnessed the widening schism between the party founder and the new leadership of the NDC.
His wife’s frosty relationship with the party was translated into her decision to found a new political party, NDP, to contest the last elections and next month’s.
After describing the youth of the party now at the leadership rank as having ‘sharp teeth’, he again said that the NDC were full of insults and compared them to their opponents saying, “The NPP are not like the NDC. The NPP does not spend much time on insults. The NDC have acid mouths,” he said.
E.T. Mensah’s remarks are only echoing the realities of the NDC under the current youth leadership.
The former Ningo-Prampram MP has had a taste of the abusive nature of the NDC when he clashed with Sam George, the current MP for Ningo Prampram.
Mother’s Funeral
During the funeral of Rawlings’ mother, former President Mahama chose to go for the Volta Region version of the activity, avoiding the one held in Accra which most dignitaries including President Akufo-Addo rather graced.
Clearly Rawlings during his lifetime was viewed as an obstacle, his incessant queries about the anomalies in the NDC impacting negatively on the image of the party he founded, but lately distanced himself from until he breathed his last.
From Vincent Kubi, Tema