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The August 31 publication also described then Finance Minister under his (Rawlings) administration as incompetent. Titled “a close look at Ghana’s ex-president Rawlings” with “REF: ACCRA 01142” the publication chronicled what it says are detailed interaction between then departing Ambassador for the Netherlands Hein Princen and Ghana’s ex-president. The former Ambassador, according to the publication spent a week-end with the Rawlingses at the latter’s “modest but comfortable presidential yacht anchored in Volta Lake” during which his spouse, who is a social worker saw “incontrovertible evidence of drug use by the president.” Bullet three of the publication stated: “Ambassador Princen's wife concluded emphatically that Rawlings is a drug-user. Periods of high-level energizing were followed by Rawlings' disappearance for thirty minutes, and upon his return he was subdued and even mellow. He perspired profusely at short notice, and consumed large quantities of non-alcoholic drinks. Princen reinforced my own impression that Rawlings' attention span has shortened of late. But the Princens found the president open, indulgent towards his children, and extremely deferential - even obsequious - towards his spouse. The tenor of their conversation reinforced the widespread impression that they see each other only in public or in the context of this retreat to lake Volta. (Rawlings said this was the first family gathering this year.) Rawlings watched videos, listened to music, and chatted up his guests simultaneously. Princen noticed what all of us observe as interlocutors: Rawlings' incredible inability to recall names, even those of advisers constantly at his elbow.” According to the publication, Rawlings’ tendency to overreact stripped him of many confidants. The publication also quoted what it says were impressions by visitors of the World Bank and the IMF that President Rawlings “seems profoundly uninformed on economic matters, even as his minister of finance is seen by financial experts inside and outside ghana as alarmingly incompetent.” “According to princen the only sustained substantive discussion focused on ghana's current economic problems. princen was intrigued to see rawlings nodding in assent at aidoo's pronouncement that high inflation was caused by irresponsible elements in the private sector, and that the private sector should find a solution. aidoo also fed rawlings the notion that the north carolina summit on ghana's competitiveness in the global marketplace was a camouflaged attack on rawlings' national democratic congress. princen remonstrated, but he thought with limited effect. princen did gain rawlings' attention by registering impressions circulating in accra that the world bank and imf are increasingly dissatisfied with the performance of both the incumbent minister of finance pepprah and the larger economic policies of the post-december government. rawlings responded by lashing out at members of his own government - some were cited by name - who deliberately conceal problems from his attention. rawlings built up a head of steam on the ghana electrical commission's announcement two weeks ago that rates would rise up to 300, retroactive to may 1; this was designed to destabilize his government, he thought. the larger impression, however, was that president rawlings was not well informed of recent unsettling economic trends," the publication noted. This is the second publication by wikileaks on Ghana. In the first publication, which was also on drugs, ex-president John Kufuor’s New Patriotic Party was said to have done very little whilst the drugs trade flourished in the country. Ghana’s exit and entry points were loosely guarded which provided the opportunity for couriers to trade. In the same publication the sitting president John Mills was also quoted to have said that some of his government officials may have been compromised by the drug lords. http://wikileaks.org/cable/1997/07/97ACCRA4941.html |
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