Rawlings bucks tradition to draw first blood

Jerry Rawlings’ uncharitable and highly controversial comments about Mills and the cause of his death have drawn the ire of not only the family of the late leader but also the larger Ghanaian public.

Fact is, for a number of reasons, Ghanaians culturally, do not speak ill of the dead especially if the body has not been interred.

But unsurprisingly, Rawlings also left a cheeky comment when he signed the Book of Condolence for the late President on Friday, July 27.

Jerry Rawlings

Rawlings wrote: Fare thee well Prof. Let's hope we will do better at keeping those with destructive tendencies away and out of the national endeavours. Help to provide JM (John Mahama) with whatever guidance you can offer from where you are since you are now free - JJ Rawlings, July 27, 2012.

Rawlings won and governed a second term in office (before bowing out as demanded by the country’s constitution) under the 4^th republican constitution with Prof John Atta Mills as his vice president in 1996. Against the will of the rank and file of the NDC party, of which he is founder, Rawlings anointed Mills as his successor at Swedru in 1998 in the now famous “Swedru Declaration”.

But Rawlings became, by far, the fiercest critic of President Mills and his administration when the latter took office after the 2008 elections – until his death last Tuesday, July 24, 2012.

Actually I’ve been wondering the whole morning what non-confrontational Mills’ reaction would be like if he woke up the next minute to read or hear these comments by Rawlings.

Most certainly Mills, if he hadn’t changed, would simply say something to this effect: WE NEED PEACE. LET’S THEREFORE NOT DO ANYTHING TO UNDERMINE THE PEACE OF THIS COUNTRY!!!