Former President Jerry Rawlings was a ‘superman’ who was unbeatable in the 1996 elections, former President John Kufuor has admitted.
According to him, it took the grace of God and preparation to win the 2000 election against the late professor Mills after Mr. Rawlings had left the scene.
“…That’s why in 1992 when I went for my party’s nomination I was rejected but I went again, and the same people who rejected me in 1992, said yes to me in 1996 to challenge Rawlings. And Rawlings was like a superman then. But when he was declared winner I said don’t worry; he [Rawlings] signed the constitution that provided for only two terms so let’s see whether he wouldn’t step down after 2000. Fortunately, he stepped down for late President Mills to come and thankfully Ghanaians gave it to me.
“So it’s about nurturing yourself to pursue realistically and pragmatically the things that you see in your vision that you believe given the chance you can help make a difference. Nurturing, perseverance, and persistence – those were the driving forces behind me. Then there is grace and knowledge; whatever you are doing I believe in God’s mercies so grace should be there. But it’s the same God that endowed us with knowledge and as the adage goes, God helps those who help themselves,” the former President said at the ‘DreamOval Thoughts Transfer Series’ which was held in his house in Accra.
He told the youth who attended that event that he appeared to have succeeded in government because he had prepared himself.
“I had seen that the problem confronting the nation and societies might be tackled through some sound preparation of anyone who wanted to engage in tackling them and to me it was politics. The strength came from the exposure I had to the difficulties of a young country struggling to establish itself as a nation. That’s where I gained the missionary zeal I am talking about. You see the difficulties and you know that if you misstep you might be done away with, but because you believe in yourself that given the chance you can make a difference; that’s what keeps you going against every odds.”
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