Cover page of Kwamena Ahwoi's 'Working with Rawlings'
The nationwide ‘unity walks’ by the National Democratic Congress, following its 2016 electoral defeat, appears not to have been able to do the magic of uniting the party.
In less than four months to the 2020 polls, the party faces potential implosion, triggered by what is seen as a plot from the Ahwois to dwindle the influence of former President Jerry John Rawlings, the party’s founder.
This follows the release of a book described by many as an ‘attempt to de-link Rawlings’ from the party he founded, by dwarfing him under Flagbearer John Dramani Mahama.
The book, “Working with Rawlings”, authored by Professor Kwamena Ahwoi, who is said to be currently controlling the party, with John Mahama as the leader of the controlling gang, has stoked controversy in the party.
Meanwhile, former President Rawlings has vowed to deal with Prof Ahwoi for his “callous agenda of bile” against him.
The controversial book, incidentally forwarded by Prof Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang, Mahama’s running mate, has outlined in comprehensive detail Prof Ahwoi’s working relationship with Mr Rawlings.
The book, according to Prof Ahwoi, “is about Kwamena Ahwoi working with Jerry John Rawlings; our working relationship; our ups and downs and our joint commitment to building a better Ghana than the one we found it. Somewhere along the line, we drifted apart. This book is about that as well.”
‘Callous agenda of bile’
Responding to issues raised in the book, Mr Rawlings, in a Facebook post, served notice that he would soon deal with Prof Ahwoi and others whose intention is to dent his reputation and the party he founded.
He described Prof Ahwoi and others in the Mahama camp as people with “callous agenda of bile” who are “desperately seeking control of the NDC party”, adding that their actions would soon collapse the party, if not checked.
“Much as I find it tiring and tedious to be engaging in self defence when I have given my all, all these years, I will soon deal with the callous agenda of bile by the likes of Kwamena Ahwoi, who are desperately seeking control of the NDC party.
“The NDC could, should and has survived on the authority of the word but if care is not taken, it will collapse and drown as has been happening, on the word of those in authority,” Mr Rawlings said.
Failed attempt, time wasting
Meanwhile, the chairman of the Volta Regional Council of Elders of the party, Dan Abodakpi, has described the book as an attempt to discredit the political legacy of former President Rawlings.
“I have read some excerpts of the book and I am convinced that this is a perilous, ill-timed submission at this point in our party’s history. It is in fact, in several instances, a factually wrong and dangerous aberration likely to create tensions in and out. Is the objective of this enterprise to destroy President Rawlings’ political legacy? If so, then I can tell my brother and my friend that he is simply wasting his time,” he said
According to Mr Abodakpi, some sections of the book attributed to him are false.
“I will never be an accessory to any grand agenda to delink Mr Rawlings from the NDC as the party that he founded.
“President Jerry John Rawlings may not be a ‘plaster Saint’ but he certainly does not deserve this from people like Prof Kwamena Ahwoi who quite frankly were gifted the privilege to participate in building on the foundations of sacrifice established by the Founder. I state for the record that I distance myself from any, and all references made to me in this book,” he added.
