JJ Turns Chief Organiser

Former President Jerry John Rawlings yesterday turned the Chief Organiser of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) as he took the centre stage at the tail end of the party�s eight national delegates congress, which was held in Tamale, the capital of the Northern Region. The former President hijacked the roles of the MCs and the organizers and could be seen giving directives and instructions as to who should do what and who should stand where for photo posing. Mr. Rawlings at some points could be heard shouting on top of his voice in is anxiety to get things going at the auditorium of the Teachers� Hall in Tamale. He ended up arranging all the national officers for a photo pose with President John Evans Mills and Vice President John Evans Atta Mills and Vice President Dramani Mahama. Meanwhile the former President earlier on Saturday descended heavily on National Democratic Congress (NDC) members whose conducts he has described as inimical to the growth of the ruling party. Terming their conduct as amounting to betrayal, the former President condemned what he again termed as greed, selfishness, backbiting and character assassination that have bedeviled the party being the orchestrated machinations by some unscrupulous party members to divide its ranks. He admonished all delegates to vote wisely to choose the right people who can lead the party to success and though whose untiring efforts the country�s democratic governance could be strengthened. He called for more unity and co-operation within the party even after the congress. The founder of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and former President Jerry John Rawlings threw all delegates, observers and sympathizers of the NDC gathered in Tamale for the eighth National Delegates� Congress into frenzy and uncontrollable joy as he appeared at the congress grounds last Saturday. The heavy crowd, which prior to this development had been kept under control, burst into spontaneous shouts of joy when the announcement was made of the arrival of the man, who is now considered as the moving spirit behind the NDC. His convoy of four wheel drive cars, one of which carried his wife, Nana Konadu and himself, were covered and blocked from entering the congress grounds by the party delegates and sympathizes but the security after a couple of minutes of stampede managed to get him through the heavy crowd. The eight delegates congress, which started on January 15 ended on the 17, January 2008, elected new executives of the party and also reviewed some articles of the party�s constitution. Former President Rawlings in his speech at the official opening of the congress, voiced out most of his worries and concerns. He condemned the organizing committee of the congress for poor organization and arrangement as some delegates had to sleep on the bare floor while others had to make do with tables and chairs. The former President lamented that, at least the organizers could have arranged for more mattresses to be provided all delegates, through whose toils the party is today in national government. He said, he could not understand why the hard work and diligence of the delegates should be taken for granted since some delegates are from respectable homes but had to be frustrated in Tamale in the name of NDC. The founder of the NDC party added that, the people in the country need inspiration from the ruling party and government, but stated that, if the delegates through whose toils the party is today in power could be taken for granted, then there no hope for the people of Ghana.