Jerry John Rawlings has justified the inhumane torture meted out to Kweku Baako, Kwesi Pratt, Akoto Ampaw, Mawuli Goka, and their ilk, being jailing without trial.
According to him, these people regarded themselves as intellectuals and didn’t know when and what to say at the right time, therefore, he ordered their imprisonment, just to contain a situation at the time.
“Some of these so-called intellectuals don’t have it. They don’t seem to recognize saying this or that could provoke a situation and we’ll be starting all over again. So sometimes, I had to do what I had to do in order to contain and preempt that kind of situation,” Mr Rawlings said to Kwaku Sakyi-Addo on Asaase Radio.
“It’s unfortunate because some of them were sharp characters,” he added.
Rawlings explained that if Kweku Baako Jr., Kwesi Pratt Jr. Akoto Ampaw and the rest think they were intellectuals, the soldiers too had their guns which they did want to use.
“However, when the situation is becoming threatening, both from inside and without...at that time, they would share, they didn’t want the monopoly of the gun anymore so they would share it so that we can defend the nation,” he stated.
Rawlings averred that Kweku Baako, Kwesi Pratt, Akoto Ampaw and others did not recognize what was on the ground; that the atmosphere was ripe to take away, to democratize…they let it pass.
“They don’t understand some of these things. They don’t seem to have an emotional insight into the underdog, into some people,” he stressed. “They are buried in their so-called intellectual masturbation.”
Rawlings indicated that he respected those gentlemen he made prison graduates and that “somewhere along the line, they seem to realize that, sorry don’t go that far; don’t go this far; you’ll provoke something.”
Kweku Baako Jr., Kwesi Pratt Jr. and Akoto Ampaw, amongst many others were jailed and tortured during the military regime of Jerry John Rawlings without any trial because they were perceived to be threats to the stability of the Rawlings regime.
Source: ghanaweb
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This 31st Ewe Revolution is the worst ever happened to mother Ghana. We the Northners were trapped to be part and latter suffered for our ***barred word***. As matter of fact, the whole Army institution was dominated by Ewes. All the national security institutions were dominated by Ewe. The names Bofro Lartey, the Tsikatas and Awoonor are still fresh in minds of many GHANAIANS particularly The AKANS who suffered most.
These (P)NDC guys who have messed our country are now blaming everyone else except themselves. They only enriched themselves. They are living in mansions, sent their children to the best schools whiles the masses are languishing in poverty. Never sacrifice your life for these greedy ba.stards.......
Rawlings is a pathological liar, very dishonest indeed. Does he think he is the only being living in Ghana? His government was the worst ever, given the numerous crimes and prosecution he oversaw against the good people of Ghana. Then, if you match his achievement s against the executions ordered against mankind, all in the name of eradicating corruption, I ask myself, did it worth it. You see if Rawlings would keep quiet and stop blaming others for his incompetence and failures, he would be far better off, otherwise, he is walking illegality. Indeed, he had no cause whatsoever to always use any platform to attack former President Kufour; for things which are not known to Ghanaians but only left to the sole imagination of Rawlings. It is a well-accepted fact that President Kufour’s administration performed remarkably better for his 8 years term office as against Rawlings’ 20 years of office in terms of good governance, economic management, and the handling of corruption.