<<Print>>

Former President Jerry John Rawlings dominated the headlines in more ways than one over the past one week. On Tuesday, exactly one week ago, he released one of his usual verbal assaults on the President of the Republic, the man he single-handedly picked to lead the National Democratic Congress into the 2000 elections, in what became known as the Swedru Declaration and divided the party down the middle. In the process, the former junta chief added a new warhead to his descriptive nuclear arsenal pointing to the direction of the current occupant of Government House. Local and international political commentators were trying to unravel the power of the new addition when on a cool Sunday morning, 48 hours ago, after the first rain of any substance in the new year had momentarily killed the unbearable heat in the national capital, Ghanaians woke up to learn that fire had gutted the residence of the founder of the ruling party. As is the case in contemporary Ghanaian politics, the fire outbreak has been given a number of slants in the media. The good news is that the wife of the ex-President, the red-bereted leader of the 31st December Women�s Movement and a daughter, said to have been at home at the time, escaped unhurt. It does not lie in the bosom of a social commentator like me to try and figure out where the former head of state might have been at the ungodly hour of 4:30 am when the fire was said to have been detected, except to infer that the former air force pilot might have been at another location. It is not unusual for a person who led this nation for close to two decades to own a property of his own. That is why not much has been read into why and how the former President of the Republic of Ghana spent the night outside his official residence. In a nation, where private lives of public officers do not generate much news, the ex-head of state out of residence at any point in time, should not lose sleep for hard-up Ghanaians. When taxes have been slapped on every item and our land of life is gradually taking on a den of death�when the daily wage cannot even pay the bus fare, why should the private life of a 63-year-old adult be a source of consternation? In other cultures, a former President found outside his matrimonial home at that time of the morning would have made more news than the fire outbreak itself. But this is Ghana, where private lives of public officers do not count for much. In a society where loyalty counts for everything, Government officials stampeding on their way to express their sympathies and competing among themselves in crafting their eulogies were worth air time and space in both state-run and private media outlets. There was the President of the republic, standing on the gutted grounds promising a swift new residence befitting the status of the former first couple. �Who Born Dog� that the President could stay aloof with his �Greedy Bastards� when Boom Junction was in flames. The wailing from the motorcade as it wound its way from the old slave Castle told its own story. There was Vice-President John Mahama in all his humility. In the limelight was Alban Kingsford Sumana Bagbin, the new Minister for Water Resources, Works and Housing, who will soon be called upon to name a new residence for the founder of the party. There were other ministers of state, their fugu and agbada outfits clearly advertising their backgrounds in Northern Ghana. Many were other dignitaries seeking protection under the Umbrella. It was impossible not to notice the beard. But when the Chief Executive of the Accra Metropolitan Chief Executive, Alfred Okoh Vanderpuiye, promised to house the former head of state, a number of questions raced through my overtaxed mind. I should have taken cognizance of the new Umbrella politics. All the same, it sounded a bit strange that the AMA boss should extend that kind of courtesy when the Government of Ghana, through the Ministry of Water Resources, Works and Housing, has an array of public property where the former President could be housed. That was not the only reason why Mr. Vanderpuiye�s offer caught my eye. If the AMA is so generous with its property, why did the Mayor not come to the aide of the immediate past head of state when the office space in Accra occupied by John Agyekum Kufuor was taken away by the state after ugly noises from a group hiding under the banner of a so-called Ga-Dangbe Youth Association? Take it from me, in Umbrella politics; a new code of conduct is being drawn. If it concerns a member of the NDC, public officials are eager to lend more than a helping hand. Any other person can go to hell, state officials seem to be telling us. Gentle Giant John Agyekum Kufuor expressed sorrow at the turn of events and sent his sympathies via a statement issued by Press Secretary Frank Agyekum. �The nation should feel relieved that he (Rawlings) and his family escaped unhurt. This is one fire outbreak too many coming on the heels of recent ones at the Tema Oil Refinery, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the offices of the Ghana Education Service at Tudu, the Makola and Asafo Markets in Accra and Kumasi respectively. �I hope the security agencies will take immediate steps to get to the bottom of the matter and put in appropriate measures to forestall its recurrence elsewhere�. The jury is still out on whether or not Flt Lt Jerry John Rawlings would have been worried one bit if the shoe had been on the other foot. It is the sign of the times that the Elephant has not taken a bashing for the fire outbreak. It looks like those seeking protection under the Umbrella are growing wiser. These days the Elephant is no more taking the blame for any calamity in the state. When fire gutted the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Commander of the Greater Accra Region Police Command, DOP Rose Atinga-Bio sensed foul play, obviously directing her suspicion at those following the footsteps of the Elephant long before investigations began. In the long run, faulty equipment was cited officially as the cause. One consequence of the fire outbreak at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was that it offered a valid reason for the Jubilee House to be occupied by an arm of Government at least. The Foreign Affairs fire outbreak appears to have offered a life-line in the self-inflicted calamity. The piggery and poultry farm concept preached on the campaign trail gave way to reality when the chips were down. Take it from me; the President will soon conduct official business from the former Flagstaff House. We are moving forward! The fire outbreak at Ridge is likely to solve another conundrum. In the run-up to the Presidential and Legislative Elections of the year 2000, information filtered through that as part of the retirement package for Lt. Lt. Jerry John Rawlings, the then NDC administration had renovated Australia House, acquired from the Australian High Commission in plush Cantoments, for use of the former junta head who is credited with founding the NDC as a political party. Remember the magical feat of Mr. Kwame Peprah, the celebrated Finance Minister? Once upon a regime, he was alleged to have negotiated with himself to acquire the controversial 14-seater Gulf Stream III as a Presidential Jet? The original idea, according to those with inside knowledge, was to give out the aircraft to Dr. Dr, Dr. Dr. Jerry John Rawlings. After nearly 20 years of leading this nation, the former pilot deserved to retire in grand style. Australia House was originally penciled in as the icing on the cake. In all these complex permutations, those who hatched the plot had apparently not considered the mood of Ghanaians, who sent the NDC packing out of Government House. Without power to back the plan, the whole idea was torpedoed. The return of the Umbrella has given a new twist to the saga, which is why the fire outbreak at Ridge might not, after all, be viewed as a calamity. Every cloud has its silver lining, which is why tro-tro drivers and their mates might have headaches of their own. It is very likely that the new Boom Junction will not be on the route tro-tro vehicles take to the city. The next lecture on Atta the mortuary man is likely to be delivered at a destination where taxis and tro-tros have no permits to enter. It is with a painful heart that I officially announce that after more than two decades of providing an identifiable spot for drivers to empty their passengers, Boom Junction is re-locating. Next week, this column will examine Jerry Rawlings as leader of this nation. It is going to be educative and explosive. Book a date with me next Tuesday.