JJ – Adomonline.com

Kofi Annan urged me to open a foreign account — J.J. Rawlings

Dorcas Abedu-Kennedy — Tue, 27 Mar 2018 07:54:01 +0000

Former President of the Republic of Ghana- head of state for a combine period of nineteen (19)- Jerry John Rawlings has revealed that but for the intervention of a respected figure Kofi Annan who ‘forced’ him to open a foreign bank account, he had never owned any bank account outside the shores of Ghana.
He was addressing Cadres and National Democratic Congress in Accra over the last weekend where he urged the cadres of the party to continue to stand for and by the principles underlying the founding of the NDC.
“My wife and I opened a foreign account at the urging of former United Nations General Secretary, Kofi Annan. He told me he will need me to help in the UN anti AIDS campaign and once in while the UN will pay me some allowance.” He said.
“My wife and I were in office for nineteen years, by the time we were leaving office, we did not have even one dollar foreign account”, he added.
He further revealed that the foreign bank account was no longer functional following the closure of the program for which it was opened.
“The campaign has ended long ago and that account has been closed. I don’t have any hidden foreign account and she (his wife) does not’’.
He also said he spent years, building his house bit by bit before it reached where it reached – that it took them more than thirteen (13)years to put up that personal house at Adjiringanno, a plush suburb of Accra. He said at the time he began, the place was a bush without any buildings around.
It is now fully developed.
“When we started putting up that structure, there was no building in that part of town, not the Trassaco Estates” he said.

PHOTO: When Okyeame Kwame and family met Papa ‘J’

Dorcas Abedu-Kennedy — Sat, 19 Aug 2017 18:03:26 +0000

The Nsiah-Apau family got a real treat recently when they met the larger than life former President of the land, Jerry John Rawlings.

Excited kids Sir and Sante beamed as they stood with mommy and daddy for the million dollar shot with Ghana’s longest serving head of state.
Okyeame Kwame himself uploaded the shot to social media, with the simple caption: ‘caption this’.
So – caption it…

Council of State unfit to be second chamber – Former Presidents

Dorcas Abedu-Kennedy — Sat, 19 Aug 2017 12:26:12 +0000

Former presidents Jerry John Rawlings and John Agyekum Kufuor have corroborated propositions for the revisions in the function and composition of the Council of State.
The two former leaders say the deliberations of the Council must be public. This view, Mr Rawlings observed, is “for once” the first time he agrees with Mr Kufuor on an issue. The two were main speakers at a forum dubbed ‘Accra Dialogues’ organized by the Institute of Law and Public Affairs in partnership with Media General.
The forum themed ‘The Role of the Council of State: A Critical Assay’ was held at the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) on Wednesday. The Council has been a visible institution since the return to multi-party democracy in 1992 with Chapter 9 of the 1992 Constitution dedicated to its composition and functions.
Mr Rawlings, who became the first president under the constitution, explained that the Council was catered for in the Constitution on the lines of the African traditional system of governance. According to him, any chief had a council of elders from whom advice is sought on issues boggling the chief.
Mr Rawlings stressed that the Council “is an important constitutional body and should be retained”. “There are many ways to improve the composition, functions and operations of the Council,” he pointed out, stating, nonetheless, that “I do not think they should be given additional powers”. He stressed: “A well-chosen Council of State is an asset to a government”.
Second House Speaking earlier to his predecessor, former President Kufuor said the Council should not be composed on the lines of democracy but that members should be selected based on their standing in society and experiences. For him, professional bodies like the Chamber of Commerce as well as religious bodies should be made to have representatives on the Council.
Mr Kufuor, who succeeded Mr Rawlings as President of Ghana in 2001, said the Council members should be crammed into a second chamber to Parliament for deliberations on national issues. He suggested that their functions should, therefore, be open and transparent, a point agreed to by Mr Rawlings.
The Council of State as captured in the 1992 Constitution is to “counsel the President in the performance of his functions”. While some members are appointed by the president solely and in consultation with Parliament,, 10 others are elected to represent the regions of Ghana.
The appointment of a member may terminated by the president on grounds of “stated misbehavior” with prior approval from Parliament. The Council has every right to consider issues to do with the president, any minister of state or any authority though its recommendations will be implemented only at the discretion of the entities involved.
The current 25-member Council, consummate for the first time in a decade, has Nana Otuo Siriboe II as its Chairman.

PHOTOS: Jerry John Rawlings’ 70th birthday in pictures

Dorcas Abedu-Kennedy — Thu, 22 Jun 2017 16:12:06 +0000

A former President of Ghana, Jerry John Rawlings turns 70-year-old today, Thursday June 22, 2017.

A cake was cut to mark the day.

Below are some photos:

Hot Audio: Swear by ‘Antoa Nyama’ if you voted for NDC – Rawlings urged

Dorcas Abedu-Kennedy — Thu, 08 Jun 2017 17:06:54 +0000

Former Ashanti Regional Deputy Chairman of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) haa said former President Jerry Rawlings voted against the party in the in the 2016 elections.

The only thing to change his mind on this position Alhaji Mohammed Sani added, is for the founder to swear for the dreaded Ashanti deity ‘Antoa Nyama’ to exonerate himself.

Former President Jerry John Rawlings in his address to National Democratic Congress (NDC) members in Wa in the Upper West Region on Sunday to mark the 38th-anniversary of June 4 revolution, touched on a number of issues, including the NDC’s election defeat, and the need for an overhaul of the party he founded.

In his speech, he disclosed his intentions to abandon the NDC party due to intense corruption that had engulfed the party under the watch of erstwhile Mahama’s administration.

“…There have been times in the past when I felt like booting this party and moving on; the only thing that has however prevented me from doing so is the plight the remaining good people would face…”

“Such a departure will allow the agents of greed, and avarice and dishonesty to further deepen their claws on you and the party. We squandered many opportunities to clean up and to restore the June 4th principles in the party…” he said.

But Alhaji Sani in response said Mr. Rawlings who is also the founder of the NDC has no moral right to condemn the leadership.

“Rawlings didn’t vote for NDC. He should go to Antoa and swear on his life. He’s not celebrating June 4. How many minutes did he spend on June 4 issues? It was only NDC issues he addressed…”

“Nana Addo thanked Rawlings after he won. He helped the NPP come to power. If you go public to declare him [Nana Addo] competent then what does that mean. In order words he portrayed Mahama as corrupt…” he explained.

He further added that, as the party’s founder, he is expected to speak progressively to move the party forward regardless, than tarnish the party in favor of the major opposition parties.

Alhaji Sani also noted that when it comes to corruption, Mr. Rawlings is also as guilty as his accusers.

“His time is up; he [Rawlings] is not a good person. Who is more corrupt than Rawlings? …” he queried on Accra-based Okay FM.

Click on attached audio for more

Who did Rawlings give the $2m he’s talking about? – Kweku Baako queries

Dorcas Abedu-Kennedy — Thu, 08 Jun 2017 05:48:33 +0000

Ex-President Jerry John Rawlings insists the gift he received from Nigerian President General Sani Abacha was $2 million and stressed that he used it for the benefit of all Ghanaians.

Addressing a gathering at the 38th Anniversary of the June 4, 1979 uprising held in the Upper West Region on Sunday, Mr. Rawlings noted that the $2 million gift from General Abacha nearly cost his presidency when then opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) sought to impeach him.

It’s however claimed that Mr. Rawlings received $5 million but the former President used the occasion to dismiss the claims, saying “when General Abubakar took over, I told him to watch out that the report in the papers about $5million was $2million and not $5million”.

Responding to the issue on Peace FM’s ‘Kokrokoo’, seasoned journalist Abdul Malik Kweku Baako voiced the lies in Mr. Rawlings’ claims.

He stated emphatically that the gift that General Abacha gave the Ex-President was indeed 5 million dollars and not 2 million as earlier told Ghanaians.

To him, he has in-depth knowledge of the transaction.

He noted that he knows the person who gave the Ex-President the money, adding that the messenger received the gift for Mr. Rawlings at the Airforce Base.

“So, the 2 million he’s talking of; who did he give to? Ghana or NDC or his own? Was the consolidated fund missing? There was no consolidated fund in Ghana? The thing is he indeed collected 5 million,” he said.