“we are tired of these Khaki politicians”
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| Chairman Rawlings at 34; Khaki politicia |
But that student spoke his mind and that forum was part of Rawlings consulting the people of Ghana; and yes Rawlings did predict events unfolding in the Middle East now to VooDoo Child. But first, recall that famous statement by former PNDC member General Nunoo Mensah “hand over to whom”?
It was shortly after the 1981 revolution led by a comeback Flight Lieutenant Rawlings during which the question of returning Ghana to civilian rule arose.
State visits to some notorious comrades all over the world reinforced that statement and alarmed especially people waiting to get back into the business of politics. Rawlings visited Cuba’s Comrade Fidel Castro, Comrade Daniel Ortega of the Sandinista revolution, Nicaragua; add Suriname strongman Dersi Bouterse, and off course Libya’s Comrade Mummar Gaddafi - mad man of the desert.
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| Gaddafi with his female bodyguards The Amazon |
Their in your face defiance of the United States
These AK 47 wielding comrades rode on popular uprisings but their main stay in power and seemingly legitimacy emanated from one main thing; their in your face defiance of the United States and its Anglo-Saxon supremacy foreign policy.
President Reagan bombed Gaddafi in 1986 and a chunk of the world rallied to the Libyan strongman and it made him more popular in the region and among his people. Now he is bombing his people; these people bolstered in their resolve by President Obama’s charm offensive.
Backtrack to Rawlings’ state visit and during these visits to the brothers in arms, two of the dictators Comrades Fidel and Gaddafi reportedly told the young leader of the West African nation who looked up to them not to hand over power. “Hand over to whom’?
A choice soon had to be made between making a pact with the devil; i.e. the International Monetary Funds, World Bank and the Western countries or continue on the mundane path of self destruction; running down the country with government and state controlled socialist economic policies. We know how that choice went down – Program of Action to Mitigate the Social Cost of Adjustment, PAMSCAD, devaluation, petrol prices, Kwesi Botwey soon became a staple of Ghana’s economic news
It was an open secret that Gaddafi helped Rawlings
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| Gaddafi and Rawlings, happier times |
Gaddafi with vast oil receipts thought his protégé was betraying the cause; of holding on to power, throwing people into jail without trial, siphoning state funds into private pockets, nepotism etc.
It was an open secret that Gaddafi helped Rawlings with some needed hardware to stage his 31st December coup. Exactly how he did it is still unclear. The report that gained the most currency was that, master orator Victor Obeng helped arrange a rendezvous on the high seas between a Libyan vessel and a Mankoadze fisheries boat for the transfer of certain important goods that facilitated the coup.
“Rawlings’ revolution not democracy saved Ghana.”
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| Nincompoop King? |
In Gaddafi’s mind Rawlings and Ghana owed him a debt and showed his nincompoop mind by making an arrogant statement like the “Rawlings’ revolution not democracy saved Ghana.” Except one thing, Gaddafi forgot Ghana is the land of Kwame Nkrumah and before him the Yaa Asantewas, Ansah Sasrakus and Asamenis.
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| President Rawlings |
Ghana is the story of people who have been fighting for freedom and independence; against domination by other ethnic groups and together, fought against domination by the Whiteman.
It was that spirit of freedom that drew out perhaps the single most important move of Rawlings i.e feel the pulse of Ghanaian people and giving back to them what was their; their power. The power to vote for him and his party, the power to kick his party out and the power to re-elect his party. Indeed, real power to the people = Democracy.
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