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24 September 2012
John Mahama Bribes Rawlings?
The sudden u-turn performed by the founder of the ruling National Democratic Congress, Jerry John Rawlings, only a few months after describing his party as one in a ditch, and now describing it as one that can win the December polls, has baffled many Ghanaians, with some wondering if the former President has been “bought.”
Former President Rawlings’ newly found conviction stems from the fact that President John Dramani Mahama, who was once described as inefficient by Mrs Rawlings, and whose leadership skills were called into question in the aftermath of the death of President Mills by the NDC founder himself, has “added a spark to the governing party.”Political commentators are struggling to come to terms with the sudden posture of Rawlings, wondering if President Mahama has, in a short space of just three weeks, been able to restore integrity to the NDC, as well as ridding the party of corruption, as demanded by the founder at the party’s special delegates congress held in Kumasi on August 30.
Recent developments, coupled with publications in some pro-NDC newspapers, appear to suggest that the former President may have been ‘bribed’ by President Mahama, to ensure hostilities between the founder and his party ceases in the run-up to the December Elections.The Al-Hajj Newspaper, a pro-NDC paper, has alleged that former First Lady, Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings, was demanding US$5 million from the NDC so as not to contest as the presidential candidate of the National Democratic Party.
Prior to this allegation, there were confirmed reports of the flying into Ghana of former Nigerian President, Olusegun Obasanjo, by President Mahama to, as it were, convince the NDC founder to campaign for him and the NDC.
Sources at the meeting informed the New Statesman that a “six figure” sum was offered to the former President so as to ensure he campaigned for President Mahama. The source, however, declined to disclose whether or not the former President accepted the offer.
Speaking on Joy FM’s current affairs programme, Newsfile, Saturday, Yaw Buaben Asamoah, a deputy NPP communications director, stated that if Mr Rawlings went ahead to campaign for President Mahama and the NDC, knowing fully well that his demands for the restoration of integrity and the ridding of corruption from the NDC had not been met, then it would give credence to stories making the rounds that he may have been compromised.
According to the NPP man, if Rawlings indeed goes ahead to campaign for President Mahama, considering the fact that the NDC had done nothing to improve on its credibility, with President Mahama still maintaining the “greedy bastards”, then Ghanaians can conclude the NDC founder has been induced and is indeed “bribable”, adding: “Rawlings would have compromised his integrity.”
Mr Buaben Asamoah further added that the so-called endorsement being trumpeted by the NDC only resonates within the core base of the NDC and does not extend nationwide.
He added that Ghanaians are discerning and would know that Rawlings cannot be taken serious on his anti-corruption stance should he proceed to campaign for President Mahama.
Source: Fiifi Arhin/thestatesmanonline
