A close confidant of the late Former President, Jerry John Rawlings, Dr. Akofa Segbefia has indicated that the late president was very pained when the country’s political system was monetized.
Dr. Segbefia noted that in 1992, there was nothing like the buying of votes and delegates but all that changed in the 2000s and that did not sit well with the late President J.J Rawlings.
The Social Commentator in an interview with Samuel Eshun on a special edition of the Happy Morning Show, celebrating the funeral rites of J.J Rawlings said, “In 1992, there was nothing like monetization, buying delegates etc. in our body politics. But 2000 was the time we started introducing money into our politics and that didn’t sit well with him”.
He disclosed that in an attempt to bring sanity back into our body politics, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) increased the number of people who voted during the party’s congress exponentially.
“I do not know if the NDC decided not to let anybody buy votes or delegates. You will realize that the party increased their delegates by a large number, to more than hundred thousand people (100, 000)”.
He noted that with such a large number of people, it was impossible to buy votes unlike now. On his accord, a politician prior to the 2020 general elections bought flat screen televisions for some hundred (100) delegates to win at his party’s primaries.
On his authority, it is impossible for Ghanaian politicians to engage in vote buying on their salaries and end of service benefits combined, which raises another question on how they acquire the money they spend.
Dr. Segbefia furthered that what the late President stood for was no way different from Ghana’s first President, Kwame Nkrumah. “There were things Kwame Nkrumah said that are still relevant now and that is why we say he lived ahead of his time. The many things he said; Leadership by example, accountability, modesty and accountability are just a rehash of what Kwame Nkrumah said prior to independence”.
Jerry John Rawlings died on Thursday, November 12, 2020 after a short illness leaving behind a wife, former First Lady Konadu Agyemang Rawlings and four children.
Activities marking the final funeral rites of former President Jerry John Rawlings commenced on Sunday, January, 24, 2021.
This follows the release of the funeral plan after a meeting between the Funeral Planning Committee, the family, the Anlo Traditional Council and other state agencies assisting with the funeral arrangements.
By: Joel Sanco
