Hello, How Are You?! – Mills Greets Rawlings

Former President Jerry John Rawlings in recent times has been waking from sleep early in the morning to answer phone calls from President John Evans Atta Mills, who appears to have nothing to tell his former boss except “how are you Mr. President”. President Mills was said to be the first person to speak to Mr. Rawlings every blessed morning of late. The President had adopted the habit of calling to greet the National Democratic Congress (NDC) founder on phone early in the morning in a clever bid to solicit the support of his former boss. The calls sometimes came so early that it disturbed the sleep of the NDC founder who sleepily stumbled around to pick up the phone, lamenting about the apparent disturbance. A source, very close to the Rawlingses, disclosed this hilarious news to the Daily Guide newspaper. He said President Mills, after his call had been answered by Rawlings, would say, “Mr President how are you?” The NDC founder would respond saying, “I am okay”, and then awkward silence would follow. President Mills, from the other end of the phone, would then ask, “Mr. President is there anything I can do for you this morning?” In response, Mr. Rawlings would say, “No, I am okay and again, silence. After another awkward moment, President Mills would then bid goodbye to Mr. Rawlings and assure him of calling the following morning before hanging up the phone. This strange and sudden routine calls, according to the source, had been going on for sometime now to the discomfiture of the NDC founder who had been complaining about this apparent neglect by government. He said Mr. Rawlings was astonished about President Mills’ sudden decision to call him every morning just to greet him after seemingly shunning him for sometime. Mr. Rawlings, it would be recalled, picked President Mills to become the NDC running mate and the eventual Vice President of Ghana in 1996. The NDC founder then stood firmly behind his former Vice President through thick and thin to the chagrin of some NDC members who thought they were being overlooked. Mr. Rawlings worked to ensure that Prof. Mills contested the presidential race on the ticket of the NDC thrice before the law professor eventually won the presidency. But the deep love shown by Mr. Rawlings to President Mills seem not to have been recognized by the law professor, who after gaining political power three years ago, decided to jilt his political mentor. The source said President Mills had now decided to call Rawlings on phone very morning because he had realized that Election 2012 was gradually drawing near and therefore trying to court the former President’s support. He noted that it was common knowledge that President Mills could not campaign and win the polls on his own so he wanted to draw Mr. Rawlings to his side to aid his re-election bid in 2012.

Source: I.F. Joe Awuah Jnr., Kumasi