Former President Flt. Lt. Jerry John Rawlings says the NDC cannot afford to toy with its mandate to correct the corrupt past it inherited.

He lamented that government is lethargic in taking the high moral ground and cautioned that if the government fails to seize the virtue of justice from the onset it cannot succeed in implementing its political agenda.

Speaking during a solidarity call on him by a large delegation from the
Korle Klottey constituency of the Greater Accra Region on Friday, former President Rawlings said: “2012 may be a problem if we do not change the corrupt tendencies. I am afraid if we do not act we will entrench a ruling class (NPP) on us, but we cannot allow that to happen. They destroyed so much but some of our brothers in government do not seem to realise the need to change the rot of the NPP.”

Touching on the Rokko Frimpong and Molbilla murders the former president said it was unfortunate that men of the junior ranks in the military are the ones facing prosecution while the senior officers and the political leaders who initiated those actions have been let off the hook.

The former president noted that though the fire disaster at his residence was a distraction, he would not allow that to divert his focus on the myriad problems facing the country.

Former Accra Hearts of Oak Chairman and now constituency chairman for Korle Klottey, Harry Zakkour on behalf of the membership donated large quantities of foodstuffs to the former first couple.

Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings who received the items on behalf of the family thanked the constituency members numbering about 200 for their kind gesture and called on all who have memorabilia or documentation on the former first couple to endeavour to assist to rebuild their library.

The former First Lady thanked God for saving their lives and praised her second daughter, Yaa Asantewaa for waking her up from deep slumber. “If she had not been around a different story would have been told.”

Earlier the former First Family had played host to a delegation of chiefs and people from the Eastern Region led by Regional Minister Samuel Ofosu Ampofo and his deputy Baba Jamal.

Mr. Ofosu Ampofo said the people of the region were overwhelmed by the destruction of the former President’s residence and were thankful to God that no lives were lost. On behalf of the region he donated food items and cloths to the former first family.

Also at the remains of the Ridge residence to share the former President’s pain were members of the diplomatic corps led by its Dean, Togolese Ambassador Jean-Pierre Gpikpi-Benissan.

Ambassador Gpikpi-Benissan said the diplomatic corps were shocked by the fire and visited to express their sympathies with the family for the loss.

Muslim Chiefs from Abokobi-Madina also called on the former first family to commiserate with them on Friday.

On Thursday the Christian Council of Ghana also paid a call on the former President and his wife to express their sympathies. Chairman, Rt. Rev. Dr Yaw Frimpong Manso expressed the Council’s solidarity with the Rawlingses and were thankful that they were alive and well.

Former President Rawlings thanked the Christian Council and charged them to monitor the mood of the nation and ensure that they advise government and other stakeholders to be sensitive to the plight of the ordinary people. He stated that increases in the prices of basic social amenities was a major source of worry and must be a matter that should concern the clergy too.

Others who paid courtesy calls on Thursday were the American Ambassador to Ghana, Donald Teitelbaum; the Chiefs and DCEs of Keta/Dzelukope; Togbe Afede, Paramount Chief of the Asogli Traditional Area; wives of senior army officers; the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community; Barima Professor Azumah Nelson and the Ghana Insurers Association.