When a dignitary in the person of the president of the United States of America visits our shores, one would expect our foremost statesmen to display a great sense of dignity and decorum in his presence. Alas that can not be expected of His I-Have-Got-To-Hog-The-Limelight, Mr Rawlings. The recent visit of Mr Barack Obama to our shores has once again exposed the hyper grandeur and uber narcissistic attitude of this man in the body politic of Ghana. The first picture showing Mr & Mrs Rawlings on the far left of President Atta Mills. The man is not pleased with his position far away from President Barack Obama. So he decides to do, errh, . . . something about that .
Look at the second picture. Mr Rawlings comes and literally drags Mr Kuffour from the side of Mr Barack Obama so that he can bask in the glory of the moment. In Mr Kuffour's own words Mr Rawlings was not happy that he, Mr Kuffour, was trying to upstage him. The funniest part of the whole episode is the expression of president Atta Mills. Click on the picture and see him literally in titters over the behaviour of Mr Rawlings, trying very hard not to fall down laughing like a hyena!
Finally Mr Kuffour, ever the gentleman, obliges. Mr Rawlings then comes to take the coveted place on the right hand of Mr Obama in the process leaving his wives miles away. Even the expression of Mrs Rawlings shows that she is not amused by the unacceptable behaviour of her husband on this occasion. I guess a word or two was exchanged between husband and wife over this incident at home.
See president Atta Mills trying to signal Mr Kuffour not to take the shameful behaviour to heart. Isn't it hilarious what Mr Rawlings will do to draw attention to his freaking self! Such petty squabbles are not expected from somebody has been our president for almost two decades. In my opinion, by this singular childish act Mr Rawlings has single-handedly demeaned himself in the face of Mr Barack Obama and those around him. Mr Rawlings has proven once again that Mr Kuffour is indeed a better man than he is.
It is hard, really hard, to put a good man down!
4 comments:
interesting account!
i've heard different tales about this event too that suggest it was all about sharing a kind of 'friendly moment' (with jokes as Kufuor himself says) and i would have thought that those who think these two men must be friendly with each other would rather be happy in what i call 'dream land' now!
i thank God i don't believe in such 'by-force' friendship! an unnecessary one too!
in any case, no matter what the definition of "gentleman" is, i'm cock (love this word!) sure that neither Kufuor nor Rawlings qualifies adequately.
it's clear they have distinct manerisms: Kufuor is the 'cool' type who hardly speaks in public whilst Rawlings is the 'charismatic' type who doesn't shy from speaking 'raw' in public! but neither of them is a gentleman!
1. Kufour:
That quote from Shakespeare greatly indicts Kufuor. The man has lied a bloody number of times! on this simple matter of a bad relationship between himself and Rawlings he can't even admit it, when the whole world knows it! he says there's no problem between them.
then there is the other big big big lie that he never insulted Rawlings. This is a man who as a sitting president (the position he demanded respect for by awarding himself a gold medal) called his predecessor 'Sasabonsam' (devil) which was played on almost all Ghanaian radio networks.
he also accused Rawlings without proof of going around the world sourcing money to overthrow him as president!
Kufuor has attempted stealing from the state nearly in the fashion of the likes of Mobutos using the law as cover! his ex-gratia demand amounts to nothing than wanting to steal resources from the people for personal 'extravaganza'!
as sitting prez journalists (TV Africa reporters) were physically attacked at his residence and he did not even blink.
even after leaving office, while away globe-trotting but clearly in the presence of his wife, journalists were beaten in his house by his bodyguards but this man never issued even an apology let alone call for 'the rule of law' but his associates were 'justifying' the beating stupidly! nobody has ever seen Mugabe beat up anybody by himself right?
2. Rawlings
this one has always been the bad boy kind of person and it's no news when dog bites man really.
at least he makes no hiding the fact of the issue that he can't tolerate Kufuor. that too is no news today.
he as president had a taxi overturned for traffic 'offenses'.
he had his daughter's (Dr. Zenato) boyfriend put in cells and shaven in the Osu Castle. the wife justified it stupidly.
He had physical confrontation with his vice prez Ackah (late). at a cabinet meeting. some said he slapped him. others said he elbowed him. still some said he just held him and let go off him. hardly any rejects the 'physical' attack.
so both of these men have too much ills for me to bother about who is more of a gentleman than the other let alone a better person than the other!
same way, i won't bother wondering of George Bush and Saddam Hussein, who is the gentleman or the better person! and that's why i love the the song "gentleman" by fela Kut of blessed memory. link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ykpwr8K3M4
i'd rather when issues come up they both confront it clearly for us all to see!
Rawlings must tell us clearly where he got all his present wealth! he must come clear on his wife's 31st Dec. women association purchasing of state property while he was president (conflict of interest?)
and Kufuor must come very clear about the Hotel which he obviously as president helped his '43 yr old' son buy! (conflict of interest?)
cheers!
I see the angle of viewpoint.
I am however fully persuaded that Mr Rawlings is nothing more than an incorrigible hypocrite.
The sins he persistently accuses others of, in my opinion, are only little versions of his own grand atrocities.
The truth is he must first remove the log(timber) in his own eyes so that he can clearly see the speck in someone else's eyes in order to remove it.
A wolf wearing sheep's clothing, that is what he really is.
How can he accuse others of corruption when the wealth he possesses is itself questionable?
Hypocrisy is deception is deception is deception!
Kufuor is a great hypocrite, just like Rawlings. They are both liars and thieves - they both, in each of their times, stole money from the state, ang have gone away scot-free. it is no matter who is a bigger culprit than t he other - they are both thieves. The very definition of gentleman precludes the inclusion of thieves. Neither kufuor nor rawlings is a gentleman.
Thanks Anon.
That is my point really.
When a known thief-in-chief unashamedly point an accusing finger at another thief.
That is so pathetic.
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