{"id":116264,"date":"2015-05-14T19:02:49","date_gmt":"2015-05-14T19:02:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/4cd.e16.myftpupload.com\/?p=116264"},"modified":"2015-05-14T19:08:46","modified_gmt":"2015-05-14T19:08:46","slug":"trappings-of-power-fame-corrupting-us-rawlings","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/citifmonline.com\/2015\/05\/trappings-of-power-fame-corrupting-us-rawlings\/","title":{"rendered":"Trappings of power corrupting Ghanaians – Rawlings"},"content":{"rendered":"
Former President, Flt Lt Jerry John Rawlings, has said that Ghana\u2019s socio-political situation will change for the better when government and Ghanaians refuse to be corrupted by the trappings of fame and powe<\/p>\n
[contextly_sidebar id=”85tCLMDiECHPdXOdOEmEad4962H3bRa4″]He said we would not be rescued by power play but by humility.<\/p>\n
He said this during a meeting with the former captain of the Black Stars, Stephen Appiah.<\/p>\n
Ex-President Rawlings said while footballers and other sportsmen cannot profit from poor performance because they ply their trade in the full glare of spectators, the people are trapped in a corridor where some are profiting from negativity and doing wrong in other spheres.<\/p>\n
The former President said aside Kwame Nkrumah and a host of other intellectuals who made Ghana shine on the continent and elsewhere, \u201cI think you in the sporting field are the ones who have done the most also.\u201d<\/p>\n
Stephen Appiah received warm praise from the former President for maintaining utmost humility throughout his career.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou have enjoyed fame and fortune yet you have maintained your humility. This is one quality that we seem to be lacking as a people and we can only hope and wish people will take a cue from personalities like you.\u201d<\/p>\n
Stephen Appiah called on President Rawlings with some of his colleagues in the Professional\u00a0Footballers Association to invite him to his testimonial match on June 27.<\/p>\n
The former Black Stars captain who led Ghana to its first World Cup in 2006 and to the subsequent one in 2010 relived memories of his previous meetings with President Rawlings, recalling how the then President motivated the Starlets 1995 team to lift the World Cup in Ecuador.<\/p>\n
He expressed gratitude to the government at the time for rewarding the Starlets with handsome amounts invested in treasury bills.<\/p>\n
Former President Rawlings in accepting the invitation said he was privileged and honoured by the invitation.<\/p>\n
Former Black Stars player, Anthony Baffoe who is a FIFA Match Coordinator and doubles as the General Secretary of the Professional Footballers Association (PFA) of Ghana, highlighted the need for all professionals to be guided by a sense of patriotism.<\/p>\n
He commended the former President for always speaking his mind and indicated that the PFA was an umbrella organization aimed at protecting the interests of professional footballers past and present.<\/p>\n