General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Johnson Asiedu Nketia has criticized the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) for crying more than the bereaved, following the death of former President Jerry John Rawlings.
Asiedu Nketia told journalists after signing the book of condolence opened by the party in his honour on Friday, November 13 that the same people who vilified Mr Rawlings and withdrew his privileges and entitlements as a former president are now celebrating him.
He, however, recognized that the government has the powers to give Mr Rawlings a state burial because if his stature as a former Ghanaian leader.
He said: “It is interesting to note that people who didn’t give president Rawlings his honour and privileges as a former president of the Republic, people who fought tooth and nail to make sure that his principles are obliterated through the scrapping of 31st December as a holiday and June 4 as a holiday and at every celebration of the June 4 including the very last one, we are vilified and insulted and threatened court action to force NDC to delete June 4 worth celebrating, are the guys who are pretending to be weeping more than the bereaved.”
“We are not going to usurp the power of the president in honouring a former president, we are not going to usurp the power of the immediate family in celebrating the life of their dear one, we are not going to prevent the family in Anlo from honouring president Rawlings but we also deserve to honour our Founding Father otherwise, the party will not be worth dying for.”
Mr Rawlings died at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra on Thursday November 12, 2020 after suffering a short illness.
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has suspended his campaign for the next one week to mourn the passing of former president Jerry John Rawlings.
His running mate, Alhaji Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, has also suspended his campaign for the same period.
This comes on the heels of the suspension of the campaign of John Dramani Mahama, who was in the Ashanti Region, on a six-day tour.
President Akufo-Addo announced on Thursday that all national flags must fly at half-mast following his declaration of a seven-day national mourning for the man who was President of the current Republic from 1993 to 2001.
“I have directed that all national flags should fly at half-mast for the next seven (7) days in all parts of the country, and have declared seven days of national mourning from Friday, 13th November to Friday, 20th November.”
“In honour of the memory of the former President Rawlings, the Vice President and I have suspended our political campaigns for the same period.”
He said a befitting state burial will be held for Ghana’s longest serving head of state.
