‘I have a mind of my own’ – Ablakwa reacts to Ahwoi’s claims in ‘Working with Rawlings’ book

• Posted on August 6, 2020August 6, 2020
• by Nana Kwesi Coomson
• Comment

The Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Sumuel Okudzeto Ablakwa is the latest to deny being groomed to attack the founder of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Jerry John Rawlings.

The MP clarified that he had neither been forced to defend the late Prof. John Evans Atta Mills nor attack former President Rawlings.

“Respectfully, I am an avowed devotee of the politics of principle and conviction. I have a mind of my own and I am not one to be “recruited” to say or do what I do not believe in or consider dishonourable.”

“For the record, I have at no time been drafted to “talk back” at the Founder of the NDC, former President Jerry John Rawlings neither have I needed prodding to defend the unblemished record and exemplary virtues of the iconic Asomdweehene – Prof. John Evans Atta Mills,” he said in a statement today, Wednesday, August 5, 2020.

Prof. Kwamena Ahwoi, a former Local Government Minister had alleged in his book titled “Working with Rawlings” that he and other NDC members, groomed some young NDC communicators to tame Rawlings, who gave President John Atta Mills a tough time during his tenure as President, with his scathing attacks.

Okudzeto Ablakwa in a statement, however, rejected the claim, intimating that the respect he holds for forbears within the party is unquestionable.

“In more than a decade of public life, the reverence and respect I have for our elders and forebears within and without the NDC cannot be questioned. I have always been greatly indebted to our venerable elders for their generous wise counsel and mentorship in shaping my career.”

Other members of the NDC, Felix Ofosu Kwakye and Omane Boamah have also rejected claims to vilify Jerry John Rawlings.

Find below Okudzeto Ablakwa’s statement 

It has become necessary to react to vilifications targeted at my person and other young members of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) as a consequence of portions and misleading interpretations by sections of the media and the public of the book titled: Working with Rawlings as authored by NDC stalwart, Professor Kwamena Ahwoi.

The claim by several media reportage that some of my colleagues and I were “recruited and groomed to attack the founder of the NDC during the Atta Mills’ administration” are false, malicious, offensive and most unfair. It is worth pointing out that the media renditions are not contained in the aforementioned book.

Respectfully, I am an avowed devotee of the politics of principle and conviction. I have a mind of my own and I am not one to be “recruited” to say or do what I do not believe in or consider dishonourable.

For the record, I have at no time been drafted to “talk back” at the Founder of the NDC, former President Jerry John Rawlings neither have I needed prodding to defend the unblemished record and exemplary virtues of the iconic Asomdweehene – Prof. John Evans Atta Mills, particularly, having been spurred on at all times by unwavering personal conviction added to the fact that I had responsibility to serve as Deputy Minister for Information at the time and for which I had amongst others, the core duty to defend and protect the image of the government.

In more than a decade of public life, the reverence and respect I have for our elders and forebears within and without the NDC cannot be questioned. I have always been greatly indebted to our venerable elders for their generous wise counsel and mentorship in shaping my career.

Everything within me abhors the politics of insults and denigrating our elders knowing that affronts our much cherished traditions. Indeed, the distinguished author himself acknowledges at page 211 that in speaking for Prof. Mills, we did not resort to insults but logic.

I am in politics for the pursuit of nobler and higher objectives; that in our collective struggles we can build for ourselves a fair, just and egalitarian society. We cannot waste precious time on anything to the contrary.

It is instructive to note that the malicious interpretation of page 211 cannot be reconciled with page 179 where the author concedes that long before Prof. Mills won the 2008 election and therefore much earlier than the erroneous claim of a 2010 “recruitment” – “a pro-Mills group of talented youthful intellectuals and activists emerged. They were dedicated to upholding the attributes and promoting the values of Professor Mills and defending him against vicious and unprovoked attacks.”

Let the younger ones coming after us not be misled by the rather unfounded aspersions and innuendos in media circles and elsewhere to assume that there’s any glory in lending themselves to conspiracies targeted at disrespecting or disparaging the elders of this Republic.

Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa
[MP, North Tongu]

Issued in Accra on the 5th of August, 2020