Rawlings and Kufuor wrangles outlive their times in office

Their own destiny

He said, it “saw a Ghanaian re-awakening only comparable to the period leading up to independence. Ghanaians took up the mantle to manage their own destiny. There was leadership alright, but right from the grassroots, decisions were being taken that affected the very wellbeing of the people and such decisions did not emanate from Accra or Central Government. “

Mr Rawlings said good governance in Africa requires the genuine support of the continent’s development partners adding that, “if they fail to support us with real intentions, but rather do so on some petty and parochial agenda as experienced over the past decade, it breeds corrupt leaders. When elections in a large and recognised democracy like the United States is seen as doubtful, it gives room for some opportunistic African leaders to take a cue.”

But critics of Mr Rawlings have accused him of being hypocritical.

A leading member of the main opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), Mr Yaw Adu-Sekyi, told the Daily Nation that, “Mr Rawlings seem to have short memories.

During his so called ‘glorious days’ Ghanaians experienced one of the worst regimes that the country had ever had. There were human right abuses in the name of a revolution that Mr Rawlings launched, there were detentions without trial and journalists could not express themselves freely.”

A noble man

“The contrast to Mr Rawlings has been the entrenchment of democracy and the freedom of the individual during Mr Kufuor’s reign, and it is surprising that anyone could speak against such a noble man,” Mr Adu-Sekyi added.

He condemned Mr Rawlings who he said, “seems to be deluded with his thought of his own democratic systems, which he had wanted to impose on Ghanaians, but never had the chance and is peeved.

Mr Adu-Sekyi said, it is surprising that Mr Rawlings should be accusing his successor of being corrupted when a British court has named a number of ministers, who served under him, as having received bribes from a British construction firm, Mabey and Johnson. The man should take responsibility for what happened during his regime.”