Ludwig denies riding ‘motorcade’ home

Ludwig Hlordze, Youth Organiser of the NDC Mr. Ludwig Hlodze, Youth Organiser of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC), Wednesday reacted to an accusation by former President Jerry John Rawlings that he was among persons who drove around with dispatch riders. Speaking to the Ghanaian Times on telephone, Mr. Hlodze said he had never used the services of any dispatch rider. "In fact, no dispatch rider at the Castle knows my house and that is what I can tell you for now," he said. Pressed further to fathom why that allegation had been made against him, Mr Hlodze said: "I will not make any further comments on this because Mr. Rawlings is a high party figure." Ex-President Rawlings on Tuesday night called on President John Evans Attah Mills to discipline the people around him because some of them, including persons who did not deserve to drive around with dispatch riders but who were doing so, were creating a bad name for him and disgracing his government. He said he knew the President to be a disciplined person but he (President) must also learn to stop people around him from doing "foolish things around him." If they refuse to be disciplined, he should boot them out. Addressing a gathering of largely NDC party foot soldiers and a number of parliamentarians at his Ridge residence during a reception he and his wife, Nana Konadu orgainsed, the former president urged support for President Mills but called on him to also do the right things for positive results. He asked: "Ludwig, who comes home using a dispatch rider ... what does he need a dispatch rider to go home for?" "I said it the other day, the people he surrounded himself with; most of them have worked with me before. That's when I said who born dog. In my time, none of them would dare do the foolish things (they are doing) around him. I'm disciplined and I know Prof is a disciplined man, but why is he not putting his foot down to make sure the nonsense going on around him is brought to a halt? If I could do it, why can't he do it? If he can do that, we will begin to see some change and if they are not changing, he should boot them out. If not, he will go down with them. And if they want to take us with them, I'm afraid we will not go down with them." he added. Mr Rawlings said he was at least gratified that President Mills acknowledged that things were not in their best, however, what he needed to do, was to address them quickly. He said sometimes when he looked at events in the party, it appeared to him as though a new spirit other than what united every member and bonded each in a communal spirit had taken over the party; where like the NPP, its members would be waiting anxiously to pick the crumbs after their leaders had eaten. "No, this is not the spirit of the NDC. NDC, like we did, we sit together at the table, and we eat together and we talk together ..." he stressed. Former President Rawlings said he had hoped that the party would be allowed to renew and restore itself with the emergence of the best brains within the party. However certain forces within its ranks "are using the backdoor to bring some of the old, troublesome guards around him (the president and) into the new party machinery," he stated. Source: Ghanaian Times