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Rawlings Tells Nana Addo: No More "Tia Tia" Tag...I May Not Play Active Role In Campaign
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- Parent Category: Our Country
- Category: Politics
- Created on Thursday, 11 October 2012 20:18
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Rawlings Tells Nana Addo: No More "Tia Tia" Tag...I May Not Play Active Role In Campaign
Founder of the ruling National Democratic Congress and Former President of the Republic, Jerry John Rawlings, has revealed that he will not be playing an active role in this year's campaign.
The former president made the disclosure when flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Akufo-Addo and his campaign team paid a courtesy call on him at his Ridge residence. He was accompanied by the party’s National Chairman, Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey; First Vice Chairman of the NPP, Fred Oware; Press Secretary to Nana Addo, Herbert Krapa; and a host of other staffers.
According to PeaceFM's Naana Ntiri, who was present at the meeting which lasted for some 20minutes, the discussions focused primarily on the impending general elections.The NPP flagbearer explained that his visit to the former President was to assure him of his commitment to peace in the upcoming elections as well as ensure that Ghana’s democracy was entrenched and strengthened.
"…the time has come in our country where the principal actors in the political scene found the way to talk to each other rather than at each other which has been the case in our country for a very long time," Nana Addo said.
He gave the assurance that should he become President, he would be fair to all manner of Ghanaians irrespective of their political party coloration. He added that his party activists have been admonished to eschew violence ahead of the election in order to ensure that people vote in peace and tranquility.
According to Nana Addo, he believes there is “a way of working to make sure that things continue to work in [the appropriate way] and then we all move together in a united manner.”
The former President, on his part, said he was hopeful that their discussion will be used as a launch pad to encourage supporters to be watchful during the elections.
“I am hoping that this meeting will also send a clear signal to our supporters that we’ll be expecting nothing less than a very vigilant and free and fair election devoid of provocation and avoid violence in pockets of areas that we may consider strongholds,” he admonished.
He revealed that it is likely he will not be deeply involved in this year’s electoral campaign and therefore assured the NPP flagbearer that he will probably not hear the “tia tia” to wit short man tag again.
“..the next point I will like to draw your attention to is that, I may not be active on the campaign trail. So you can rest assured that…you probably wouldn’t be hearing the ‘tia tia’ (short man)…,” Mr Rawlings said amidst spontaneous laughter.
The former president pointed out that the NPP flagbearer and President John Mahama appear to be the favorites in this year’s election, and thus sought assurances from Nana Addo that NDC supporters will enjoy equal security under his presidency.
“Should you be able to win this election, can the NDC supporters enjoy the same degree of security and freedom under your government as the NPP has enjoyed under the Mills and Mahama government?” he asked.
He appealed to Nana Addo to work to minimize corruption should he win the elections and become President. He said it was worrying that Ghana was endowed with resources but corruption was eating into the resources to the detriment of the nation.
“…(corruption) is eating away at the fabric of our society and it is absolutely unnecessary. We must be able to enhance to increase the degree of respect between ourselves and the international community.”
According to him, the lack of integrity in the NDC led to the formation of the National Democratic Party of which his wife is likely to lead into the December polls.
“In-fact that led to the formation of the NDP, actually. Wait a minute; I am not saying the NDC doesn’t have its strong point,” he stated.
Source: Nana Kwadwo Asante/Peacefmonline.com
