True to the Tuesday, October 1, 2013 front page story of The Al-Hajj about plans by the founder of the National Democratic Congress, Mr. Jerry John Rawlings to start whipping the Mahama administration, the former President in a rehearsal to the more explosive and harsh comments he has in stock over the weekend delivered heavy jabs to handlers of the President.
Whiles many sough to treat The Al-Hajj?s report with contempt, Mr. Rawlings confirmed the story while speaking at a Special Congregation of the University for Development Studies to confer an honorary degree on him for pioneering efforts in establishing the School on Saturday when he lashed President Mahama for his inability to keep people he referred to as ?the bad ones? and ?crookish monsters? away from the Presidency.
?Both the good and the bad are around him. He?s unable to kick the bad ones away and I guess it?s because he doesn?t know about some of them and their nature?. Rawlings stated.
Whiles describing the tendency of Ghanaians to keep quiet in the face of wrong as a plague akin to a ?crippling ostrich mentality?, the NDC founder cautioned President Mahama who was also at the ceremony, to shut the door to the ?crookish monsters? and ?greedy bad ones?.
He said despite the President?s ascetic nature, the ?crookish monsters? around him are living profligate lifestyles which risk plunging the presidency into the doldrums.
?The President sometimes joins his car personally to go and see his Dentist; I know it; he doesn?t know I know; today I?m saying it. He drives himself. He won?t do it again since I?ve made it known [but] some of the crooks ? he doesn?t know – around him, if they are going to the toilet or the bathroom, they will use a dispatch rider?, Rawlings fumed.
He said: ?There are very disciplined people who are trying hard around him, but sometimes their efforts are negated by the crookish monsters some of us know about?.
?I have to be very frank with my President today with you as my witnesses and I think it?s important that we do something about this issue of greed and opportunistic tendencies as people, as brothers?, Rawlings suggested and added that: ?I love this country intensely you know. And I love the people of this country intensely,? Mr. Rawlings added.
Meanwhile, The Al-Hajj has gathered that what Mr. Rawlings demonstrated at the UDS campus was just a warm-up session for him to assume a more ?booming? posturing to lash the Mahama administration as typical of him after his term as President came to an end in 2000.
Sources at the Ridge residence of the NDC founder revealed that, Mr. Rawlings for some time now have not been particularly happy with certain happenings in government, as a result of which he has decided to end his self-impose gagging after the death of the late President, whom he lambasted so much even in death, and will start a more advancing smashing of the current government.
Source: The Al-Hajj
