Former President, Jerry John Rawlings has rejected claims by a Daily Guide newspaper publication that he [Rawlings] has said ex-President Kufour was not behind the murder of the late Ya Na Yakubu Andani II.
Daily Guide in its December 12, 2014 edition published a story headlined “Kufuor didn’t Kill Yaa Na – JJ,” which claimed that the former president had made a u-turn after accusing former President Kufour of having a hand in the late Ya Na’s death.
[contextly_sidebar id=”Abbfc0B69Ugq67SzZkZLkzvyCU1a6G7K”]The publication quoted Rawlings as saying “I don’t think Kufuor or the Abudus were the killers of the Ya Na.”
But a press release from former President Rawlings has described the story as a “fabricated one…and deliberately skewed to generate negativity towards President Rawlings by creating the impression he was inconsistent.”
According to him, during his visit to bid farewell to the late Daasebre Akuamoah Boateng, he took the opportunity to speak on diverse issues including the lack of just and conclusive investigations into the death of the Ya Na.
Jerry Rawlings also added that “he expressed disquiet over how the NPP under President Kufuor did little to unmask the killers and criticized Presidents Mills and Mahama for their inaction in bringing a just conclusion to the matter.”
“In stating that the Abudus may not have been totally responsible the former President made no reference to President Kufuor. That reference is a crafty and dubious creation of the Daily Guide carefully calculated for selfish political effect,” he added.
He said he has never wavered as far as his position on the Ya Na’s brutal demise is concerned.
“This is a serious matter that cannot be swept under the carpet and used as a petty political tool by the Daily Guide and its cohorts. The misinformation of the December 12, 2014 edition of the paper is something the public does not deserve. We have copies of the video recording of the address by President Rawlings at the Kwahuhene’s funeral and dare the Daily Guide to come out with a contrary record of the address.”
He further entreated the “general public to disregard the said publication by the Daily Guide.”
–
By: Godwin Allotey Akweiteh/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @AlloteyGodwin