The founder of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Jerry John Rawlings, has said Ghanaians booted the NDC out of office because of sickening greed, selfishness and corruption.
According to Mr. Rawlings, such practices were contrary to the values upheld by the NDC, describing them as a “betrayal of the values of June 4,” which are probity, transparency and accountability.
“Nobody is saying don’t make money, make it good and clean; but not some of the ones I know; sickening, that kind of greed and selfishness, look at where it landed us. Or is it because this government is not behaving the way Kufuor did in his time, so we think we are okay? I know what’s going on. I know some of the things they are running into,” he added.
Former President Rawlings made the remark when he was addressing NDC members in Wa in the Upper West Region on Sunday to mark the 38th-anniversary of June 4 revolution.
He further lamented that, the corruption that bedeviled the NDC when it was in power was about a thousand times more than what warranted the June 4, 1979 uprising, which led to the execution of some Ghanaian leaders.
“Let me remind people that we could not have possibly forgotten that generals were executed in 1979 in the rage and anger because of corruption. The greed, corruption and injustice of today believe it or not are a thousand times more than what these generals were executed for.”
“And if we are unable to restore a fair measure of integrity into our dealings, then the blood of many would have been shared in vain. If we cannot get our cloths off and allow for fresh leadership to emerge then we shall sink even further,” he added.
The NDC founder also used the opportunity to call for a complete overhaul of the party’s current crop of leaders.
This he said was the only way the party could come back strong for the next election in 2020.
“Not too long ago, I thought we heard the jockeys training the horses were responsible for this disgraceful failure while one of the horses was bold enough to lay the failure at the step of the jockey. For me we lost our masses because we betrayed the values of the June 4th. However, if this horse jockey business cannot be resolved comprehensively allowing integrity to prevail then let both of them step aside and allow for fresh leaders with solid integrity to provide the needed leadership,” he added.
“…How we can grab so much money and now use it as political weapon to perpetuate and be kingmakers. If I was doing it this way, if any of my colleagues and I were doing it this way would any of them be where they are today? No. we believe in justice and fairness, true democracy,” he added.
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(Via: CitiFM Online Ghana)
