Our Constitution Has Not Made Rawlings 'Senior Prefect' Over His Successors - Victor Smith

Former Ambassador of Ghana to the United Kingdom, Victor Smith has asked opinion leaders in the country to restrain former President Jerry John Rawlings from publicly disrespecting his fellow former Heads of State.

According to him, some of the NDC members are not happy with the way former President Rawlings has been disgracing former Heads of State especially former President Mahama in public.

Speaking on Okay FM’s 'Ade Akye Abia' Morning Show, Ambassador Victor Smith averred that the 1992 Constitution of Ghana has not mandated former President Rawlings to be the Senior Prefect or Housemaster to be advising his successors.

“Where in Ghana’s Constitution has it been written that former President Rawlings is the Senior Prefect to be advising his successors? Or is he a Housemaster? You can advise someone and it is up to the person to work with your advise or not. You cannot force the Presidents to take your advise, because the people of Ghana elected the person”, he argued.

He mentioned that it is time for former Rawlings to show respect to his fellow former Heads of State; thus, he disrespected former President Atta Mills and has been disrespecting former President John Kufuor and now former President John Mahama.

He however pleaded with opinion leaders of this country to approach Ex-President Rawlings to talk to him about his utterances and gestures to former Heads of State.

“We can ask President Akufo-Addo to talk to him; right now his bosom friend is President Akufo-Addo and we can tell him to advise Rawlings”, he suggested.

“They are now best friends; they go to every function together. I want to say that some of us are worried about their friendship but we cannot say it. You know there are two major political parties, that is the NDC and NPP; you are our founder but we see that he has become too close to President Akufo-Addo”, he averred.

He insisted elders of this country should intervene and restrain former President Rawlings as President Akufo-Addo will suffer the same disgrace should he [Rawlings] fall out with President Akufo-Addo.

“I will plead with the elders of this country to rise up to restrain former President Rawlings. If he falls out with President Akufo-Addo, you will see what he can say about him . . . this is not good for the youth of this country who see former President Rawlings as their role model; they will assume it is the way out to address issues with people in higher position”, he stated.