The November editions of the Africa watch magazine has one or two stories which should drive home a lesson to all politicians – old and young ones, The lesson? – watch your tongue.
One of the articles has a quote from a former African-American Congressman, William L. Clay, “This is quite a game, politics. There are no permanent enemies, and no permanent friends, only permanent interests.”
The three-page article (pages 14, 15, and 16) reminds its readers of instances that ex-president Jerry John Rawlings had called Nana Akufo-Addo and ex-President J.A. Kufuor, thieves.
“The many verbal attacks by Rawlings against friends he has fallen out with and people he perceives as “enemies” have been legendary. For example, concerning Akufo-Addo , here are some of the things Rawlings has said in the past against him:
In November of 2008, before an NDC rally in Kumasi, Rawlings lashed out at Akufo-Addo in front of the Asantehene, otumfour Osei Tutu II, at the Manhyia Palace, saying: “Whether Prof. Mills or that short man, what is his name, Nana Akufo-Addo, the electorate should watch against politicians who fabricate deceit and lies, and rather vote for the one who is imbued with integrity to lead the country.”
“That short man,” who was then relaxing in his home in Accra, took that insult on the chin, but his non-retaliation did not encourage Rawlings to stop degrading him further. In fact, ten months before the Kumasi insult, Rawlings had verbally attacked Akufo-Addo in January of 2008 while speaking to NDC supporters gathered at the workers’ club of the Ghana Consolidated Diamond Ltd at Akwatia in the Eastern Region. “The NPP are bringing a thief (Kufuior),” Rawlings exclaimed, adding that there was “no difference between the two.”
Rawlings went further to say on the day: “The NPP leaders are a bunch of thieves; they are greedy and very selfish. They have looted the national coffers and see how they are shamelessly flaunting their wealth around in the midst of humiliating conditions of the majority of the people.”
Former First Lady, Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings, did not also spare Nana Akufo-Addo.
“Talking encouragement from her husband’s insults, Konadu Agyeman could not resist the temptation to also have a go at Akufo-Addo. Whiles peaking to the NDC’s Greater Accra wing of the Tertiary Education institutions Network in Accra in July of 2008, Konadu Agyeman said: “Now, we have somebody [Akufo-Addo]…who is coming and is also saying he is a lawyer raining in France; it’s all a lie.
He did not go to any law school. He has been practicing in Ghana as a lawyer but he never went to law school. We cannot sit down for them to peddle these lies around.
Another aspect of the article states
Forked tongue at its worst
There may be no greater forked tongue talking in the world right now than the one in Rawlings month. Ghana’s former president has clearly forgotten that he once called Akufo-Addo a “liar” by including him in with the “politicians who fabricate deceit and leis.” He has also forgotten that he once called Akufo-Addo a “thief”.
Surely a credibility question must arise if you call somebody a thief in 2008 and then change your tune in 2017 and now call that same person “the most honest politician there could ever be.”
“A lot of the time he [Rawlings] sounds very hypocritical…I don’t think serious people should use him or accept him as a measure of righteousness in our society,” former President Kufour told Africa watch in an interview in 2010.”
Source: the daily dispatch
