“When Kofi B. Kukubor penned this piece in support of his godfather and hero Rawlings, little did he know the method he spoke about, that cut from Machiavelli was exactly what his perfect and unblemished Rawlings unleashed on Atta Mills, and about to taint John Mahama with.” A quote from a reader.
It is important to establish that, my earlier post has nothing to do with Rawlings blemished or unblemished record. Rather, it has everything to do with the very foundation of the NDC.
I had wanted to ignore this but I need to help others who claimed they know Atta Mills and even fight on his behalf. I shall use one of my several conversations with the late President Mills to elaborate on my earlier article.
You see, anyone who knows me in NDC calls me Atta Mills’ boy or people who want to talk about him in my presence address him as “your father”. A title I am very proud of.
His Excellency John Evans Fiifi Atta Mills was a father, a mentor, and a friend that span several years. The pain that his death caused deep into my marrows may one day be explained in my future memoirs.
My first encounter with Atta Mills was not Atta Mills the politician, but Atta Mills the hockey player. Later on, I served him as the President of the Veterans Hockey Club of which I was the youngest player in the team at the time. When he became a President I served him in several capacities not as a government appointee but as a ‘son’ and ‘personal aid’.
However, Atta Mills the President gave me a purest definition of politics as a President. At times I laugh when I hear people say he was a good man but not a politician. I have had the most pleasurable opportunity to engage the late president on diverse issues of life. From spirituality, politics, life history, political journey, health, mundane everyday issues and everything that pertains to life and living.
For the purpose of a rejoinder to my earlier article, I shall focus on the relevant matters.
In the heat of the perceived conflict between Rawlings and Atta Mills, and the exchange of barrage of insults and abusive languages directed at him and at Rawlings, I went to his office one afternoon.
I spent about 45 minutes alone with him purposely to discuss my discomfort with the vituperations.
Me: Prof (as I always call him), in humility it is becoming very embarrassing with the trading of insults on air. Prof, I will humbly ask that you ask your appointees who keep responding to Rawlings to ignore him.
He looked at me with anger and sadness. He explained to me how hurt and bruised he was with the constant and daily insults being hurled at him and more hurt by “ those children he could have given birth to who claimed to be doing Rawlings’ bidding.”
After a long discussion on the subject matter he concluded with a profound statement that guide and will continue to guide my political relations.
H. E Atta Mills: “Kukubor, I still respect Rawlings. I am far older than him. I was about completing Achimota before Rawlings was admitted into Achimota school. But he was one time my boss. He stood by me when even some of his close associates left the party because of me. He is the one who has given me the opportunity to serve the people of Ghana. I shall always be grateful for that. I can’t insult Rawlings though I am hurt, because I serve on his party. May be he (Rawlings) believes I am not doing certain things right but I shall serve the people of Ghana to the best of my abilities”
I can go further on to recount some other cordial encounters Atta Mills had with Rawlings when Rawlings paid him visits at the castle, but the crust of my point is made.
Those of us who have walked with the late President knows his values and what he has taught us. Even Koku Anyidoho with all his perceived bullish communication style he never in the life of Atta Mills or in his death ever raised his voice to insult Rawlings. The very day I shall insult my founder, I cannot raise my head as Atta Mills boy because he never mentored me to insult my founder and elders of the party. And I cannot call myself a member of the NDC because Rawlings is the symbol of the NDC platform that I take pride in. I walked with Atta Mills. We may disagree with Rawlings, but we respect him. Because he is the symbol and representation of the ideals NDC stands for and aspire to be.
• Probity,
• accountability,
• transparency,
• and social justice.
These are timeless ideals that must underpin a representative democratic governance.
The late Atta Mills looked beyond the person Rawlings and was motivated by what Rawlings symbolises for the NDC. He did not looked at the imperfection of Rawlings but was rather guided by the timeless values Rawlings espoused.
I have also learnt and observed from the Kodzo Tsikatas, Dr. Obed Asamoahs, Faustina Nelson, Ahwois, Alhaji Iddrisu, A. A. Munifie, Justice D. F. Annan, P. V. Obeng, Ambassador Abodakpi, Totobi Kwakye, Dr. Kwabena Adjei etc of which I have had personal encounters with some of them. These are some of our elders who fought side by side with H.E. Jerry Rawlings and have collectively made him the founder of the NDC. Not because Rawlings was necessarily the most intelligent or astute, but because the philosophy and the ideals of NDC must reside in the leader who serves and champions these ideals.
Have we ever seen them openly insulting Rawlings? They register their displeasure but they do hold Rawlings in respect. Because they have been part and parcel of building what Rawlings represents. Should they attempt to denigrade Rawlings, they will also be denigrading the foundation they have helped in building for us and destroying their own legacy as well.
H. E. Atta Mills never established factions within NDC he rather pursued unity even by bringing back old folks like Obed Asamoah, Bid Zedeng etc who deserted the NDC because of him. Every leader or President now or in the future will always subscribe to the platform that unite us and from which we all draw our collective strengths, the NATIONAL DEMOCRATIC CONGRESS.
All these leaders I have made mention of have their enemies and friends alike. That is the inherent nature of leadership. I have sat in conversations where the names of both Atta Mills, and Rawlings invokes anger but also brings joy and happiness in other quarters. This excessive hate, anger, and open vituperations against our leaders is not the character of NDC. It is a seed that has been sown deliberately by infiltrators to divide and destroy our beloved party. NDC has it’s mechanism and style in resolving conflicts. Let us pursue our old and time tested mechanisms.
I encourage all true NDC members and activists to reaffirm and realign their firm commitments to the philosophy, ideals and principles which our founder Jerry John Rawlings represents and of which our elders of the party fought to lay the foundation.
This is the surest way of regaining the trust of Ghanaians and a quicker return to power to continue the good work for the people of Ghana.