Allow Rawlings To Air His Concerns � Fifi Kwetey

A Deputy Minister of Finance, Fifi Kwetey, is entreating the leadership of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) to create room for the NDCs founder, Flt. Lt. Jerry John Rawlings, to air any gripe he has with government or the party. To him, eventhough the NDC has not abdicated on its responsibilities in doing what is right, the failure of the party to listen to Mr Rawlings� concerns over the years, can somewhat be attributed to the rise in divisions within the party. �It is important to know what those issues are...if not in the open, at least at party circles for us to know; that is the only way resolutions can be done. Otherwise, it becomes vague to know what the real concerns are. It is important not to stop there but for us to find (a) platform for the founder to table some of these concerns that he made mention of in order for them to be done. I believe that as a party we have not abdicated on our responsibility to do what is right. As a government we have not done so. If he thinks that there are imperfections here and there, we need to find it and find ways to resolve it�� he said on Radio Gold�s Alhaji and Alhaji programme. Former President Rawlings, in characteristic fashion last Thursday, retaliated for the verbal onslaughts he has been suffering at the hands of some NDC activists who occasionally rain invectives on him anytime he took exception to happenings within the NDC when he descended on the �babies� with �sharp teeth� in the NDC. Addressing NDC delegates in Kumasi, Mr Rawlings euphemistically questioned whether such babies �should not be lowered out with the dirty water so that we can concentrate on the many good babies? After all, one bad nut is all it takes to spoil the taste in your mouth.� The former president, who plainly told President Mahama that an electoral victory in December will depend on how quickly he can restore dignity to the presidency, to the government and to the party, aside other factors, was also not generous to those he said were sitting in the comfort of their homes, both in Ghana and abroad, waiting �for others to win the elections for them�. He described as an insult to �people�s intelligence�, the tendency to embrace people they have initially denigrated because of political expediency. Touching on former President Rawlings� address at the Congress held in Kumasi, the deputy finance minister said he shares the same sentiments as the founder that integrity should be maintained in the party. He pointed out that since the NDC was established on the grounds of integrity, accountability and justice for all, abandoning those principles will not augur well for the party. He reiterated the need for the party to resolve all its internal issues for a united front in order to secure victory in this year's polls.