JJ Mocks Mills

Ex-president JJRawlings Ex-President Jerry John Rawlings has posted a low rating for the performance of his “own anointed son”, President John Evans Atta Mills, one year since he assumed power. Even as President Mills hosted a cross-section of the Ghanaian media last Thursday with a smile of satisfaction over what for him is a wonderful performance, his mentor, ex-President Rawlings, could only put up a wry look of disapproval. For those who disagree with the National Democratic Congress (NDC) founder on his position about Mills’ performance, he directed them to take a taxi ride in Accra “and see if anything good would be said about the government”. Commemorating his first 100 days in office, President Mills graded himself an excellent 80 percent, prompting critics to wonder why he would not leave the assessment for others to undertake. However, Thursday’s interaction with the media, intended to paint a picture of good performance, suffered the blow of the Tema ranting and poor rating by Rawlings. Ironically, when he hosted the media on Thursday, he stayed away from such an assessment, stating now that he is a student and would prefer the assessment to be made by others. At the time he assessed his government last year, he said he considered himself a teacher at the time, not so this time around, he added. Taking President Mills on, about the fulfillment of his promises, Ex-President Rawlings observed that these have not been met. Speaking during the party’s Tema engagement to commemorate the 28th anniversary of the 31st December putsch recently, Mr Rawlings sneered at Mills and his government for deluding themselves that their performance is up to scratch. Sounding defiant, he stated that he would not be cowed into silence by critics, who according to him, ignorantly criticize him, describing them as little mouths. A few months after taking over power, President Mills came under intense pressure by the man who brought him into the political limelight and eventual presidency of the nation, with an assortment of criticisms. Ironically, President Mills preferred the diplomatic option when he parried any suggestion that he is under any form of pressure from his mentor. Observers however consider Mills’ declaration of “all is well” in his relationship with the ex-President as a mere charade intended to steer clear from further stirring the hornet’s nest. For such cynics, if Mills thinks this declaration would put the lid over further attacks from Rawlings, he has missed it. Ex-President Rawlings considers the governance style of Mills as sluggish and devoid of the revolutionary vim which he expected of a political grouping he sees as belonging to him. His contribution towards the party’s electoral triumph in the last polls has been rubbished as insignificant by critics, but to such persons he had a ready answer when he ranted at the Tema NDC gathering. He told such critics that what he contributed to the party during the last elections surpasses monetary value. “What I brought on board your money cannot buy. The integrity I brought on board, their money cannot buy. I brought blood onto the table of some of my colleague soldiers, personnel who have died, you dare open your mouth to tell me what money has been onto the table,” an angry JJ yelled. Continuing, he accused Mills’ government of stealing his programmes after rendering him redundant. He taunted the government when he asked, “What programmes can you do in Accra that I could not do five times or ten times more?” Rawlings described the economy as leaking, with President Mills surrounding himself with persons he called greedy bastards. By A.R. Gomda/Daily Guide