NPP questions NDC’s decision to rename Headquarters after Rawlings
NPP communicator Vincent Abongpaari says the NDC should apologise for its treatment of Jerry John Rawlings before renaming its national headquarters in his honour.
A member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Communications Team for the Chiana-Paga Constituency, Vincent Alhassan Abongpaari, has criticised the National Democratic Congress (NDC) over its decision to rename its national headquarters Rawlings House, arguing that the governing party should first apologise for what he described as its treatment of its founder, the late former President Jerry John Rawlings, during his lifetime.
Speaking on the Big Mike Breakfast Show on Friday, June 26, Abongpaari described the renaming as politically motivated rather than a genuine effort to honour the former President’s legacy.
According to him, Rawlings openly criticised some leaders of the NDC during his lifetime over issues of corruption, accountability and the direction of the party.
He alleged that instead of embracing those criticisms, the party sidelined its founder and failed to uphold the principles he championed.
“Wherever President Jerry John Rawlings is, he will be very sad with the NDC today. They celebrated him only after his death, yet when he was alive they called him names and ignored his principles,” he claimed.
Abongpaari argued that before celebrating Rawlings’ legacy, the NDC should publicly acknowledge the disagreements it had with the former President and apologise for what he described as his mistreatment while he was alive.
He also questioned whether the governing party was demonstrating the values of accountability, probity and justice that Rawlings consistently advocated.
“If they are celebrating him genuinely, let us see his way of life and the principles he stood for being implemented. Without that, these celebrations are only a camouflage,” he said.
Abongpaari maintained that honouring the late former President after his death without addressing the concerns he raised during his lifetime was inconsistent with the values he championed.
He therefore called on the NDC to publicly apologise to the memory of its founder, insisting that such a gesture would demonstrate genuine respect for Rawlings’ legacy and the ideals for which he stood.
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