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Deputy Information Minister Samuel Okudzeto-Ablakwa has said the refusal of Aflao chiefs to welcome the celebration of the 33rd June 4 Uprising in their town was one of many signs that everybody is tired of Rawlings and his unnecessary distractions and criticisms of the government. Speaking on Metro TV Good Morning Ghana, Mr. Okudzeto-Ablakwa stated �I get the impression that everybody is fed up with what is going on.� Mr. Okudzeto Ablakwa noted that much as the NDC members adored former President Jerry John Rawlings and respected his legacy, party members had realized that the path he (Rawlings) had chosen threatened to destroy his legacy and leave him in political oblivion, and no one wanted a part of that. He said it was not only the Aflao chiefs who had openly dissociated themselves from the Rawlingses, but also some close aids and loyalists of the Rawlings. �Yesterday I heard that one of the close aids of the Rawlingses, Mr. Siddique issued a statement that he wants unity now � he can�t continue on this path because it is not taking them anyway � another gentleman Francis Duker who used to be the Vice Chairman of FONKAR has also come down from the Ashatnti that he has also left � he doesn�t think that this is taking them anywhere � the Western Regional Branch of FONKAR has also held a press conference to say that this whole thing is useless and it is not taking the party anywhere,� he said. The Deputy Information Minister said that was evidence that people were leaving the Rawlings camp in droves because the path Rawlings had chosen was not a worthy course and people simply do not want it. Mr. Okudzeto-Ablakwa noted that the Rawlings camp had been deserted so much that the list of speakers for this year�s June 4 celebration was not appealing. The list of speakers for this year�s June 4 celebration includes MP for Lower Manya, Michael Teye Nyaunu, Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings and former President Rawlings himself. �The kind of speakers we used to have at June 4 programmes in times past, I will do anything to be there and listen to them but not this time�and of course I am a �traitor� and traitors are an endangered species at such programmes so we are not going to be there,� he said. He noted that there was attrition in the Rawlings camp and everybody had deserted that camp because they were tired of the attacks on President John Evans Ata Mills, the vilification and all the unnecessary distraction. �The President is doing so well and delivering on his promises to Ghanaians but we are unable to talk about that because we always have to come on TV and radio and respond to such distractions,� he said. But Communications Director of the NPP, Nana Akomea expressed surprise at the Deputy Minister for condemning Rawlings' ranting saying "NPP used to complain about Rawlings' rantings against former President Kufuor but Okudzeto and his people told us they could not gag him." Nana Akomea said he was not surprised that the NDC was pulling strings to the extent of influencing Aflao chiefs to reject Rawlings' plans to hold June 4 celebrations in their town, saying that the move was a clear attempt by the government to gag Rawlings because they were uncomfortable with his pronouncements. He noted that the NDC had done many things to make Rawlings rant the way he had been doing, saying "the NDC brought back Boakye Gyan to spite Rawlings and now they have gone into a merger with Dr. Obed Asamoah's DFP without consulting Rawlings, who is the founder of the party, so Rawlings has every reason to complain." Add new comment