"Dead Men Don't Talk So He Can't Defend Himself" - Baako On Ahwoi's Account Of Mills' Inactions
Seasoned journalist, Kweku Baako has slammed Prof. Kwamena Ahwoi for making some claims about the late President John Evans Atta Mills, in his new book titled ''Working With Rawlings''.
The book by Prof. Kwamena Ahwoi, a former Minister of Foreign Affairs and former Minister of Local Government and Rural Development between years 1990 and 2001, outlines accounts during the era of former President Jerry John Rawlings.
In the book, he is quoted as saying the former President loved late Professor Atta Mills so much that he (Rawlings) squeezed the testicles of a former member of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Bede Ziedeng for opposing Mills' candidature to lead the party in 2002.
According to a Ghanaweb publication, Prof. Ahwoi recounted that ''Bede Ziedeng and others had formed a human shield to protect dignitaries going into the Trade Fair Site. As Rawlings was going in, the crowd moved closer to see him and cheer him on. This made it nearly impossible to see whatever was going on. So Rawlings took advantage of the situation. He held Bede Ziedeng’s testicles, squeezed them hard and left them in record time. This caused Bede Ziedeng to faint immediately. He was taken away and given attention until he recovered. An unperturbed Rawlings accessed the hall and the proceedings went on. Mr Ziedeng later reported Rawlings to some leading members of the NDC, including Prof Ahwoi. When Rawlings was confronted on the matter, he merely laughed it off. But the incident nearly led to Mr Ziedeng leaving the party for good''.
He is also quoted as saying the late President refused or failed to prosecute some alleged corrupt officials of the erstwhile J.A Kufour's government, although he (Mills) promised to clamp down on corruption.
Making his submissions on Peace FM's ''Kokrokoo'' on Wednesday, Kweku Baako appeared scandalized by Prof. Ahwoi's account of certain actions and inactions on the part of the late President describing it is an attack on his memory.
He told host Kwami Sefa Kayi that it is never true that Prof. Atta Mills did nothing, in terms criminal prosection, to Ex-President Kufour's government officials.
He questioned what Prof. Ahwoi sought to achieve by making those claims in his book.
''...that Professor Mills refused or failed or both to allow prosecution of NPP. That's a fallacy. That cannot be true but they all appear to believe it and they're articulating it.''
''It is unfair to Professor Mills' memory and he's not here. Dead men don't talk, don't defend themselves. So, he's not here even to make an input...It's an attack on the man's memory and his integrity. And it is seen as a light thing in a book of this nature by a great man like Mr. Ahwoi and it's released at this time?''
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