A former Local Government Minister, Prof. Kwamena Ahwoi has recounted the bad blood that characterized the relationship between former President Jerry Rawlings and former Vice President, Kow Nkensen Arkaah, which reportedly led to a brawl.
Prior to the 1992 presidential polls, Arkaah who was the leader of the then National Convention Party (NCP) became the Vice-Presidential candidate to Jerry Rawlings following an alliance between the National Democratic Congress and the NCP.
The pair had a difficult working relationship. There were reports that Rawlings physically assaulted Arkaah at a Cabinet meeting on December 28, 1995.
Recounting the incident 25 years on, Mr. Ahwoi, who was present at that cabinet meeting, insisted that Arkaah wasn’t beaten by Rawlings.
He, however, acknowledged that there was “an incident” at the meeting, but argued that Arkaah’s suit was not torn as claimed.
“Rawlings didn’t beat him [Arkaah]. But there was an incident and both of them fell on the floor. But Commodore Stephen Obimpeh, who was a military person, was sitting next to Arkaah so he went very quickly, jumped into them and separated them and Arkaah left there [the cabinet meeting].”
“At the time he [Arkaah] was leaving [the meeting], his suit wasn’t torn but we all later saw a picture with his suit torn. [He did that] because he went to the then IGP, to report that he had been assaulted by President Rawlings so he needed evidence,” Prof. Ahwoi narrated on Foot Prints on Citi TV.
Arkaah later became the leader of the Convention People’s Party formed by the merger of the NCP and the People’s Convention Party. Arkaah continued as Vice-President despite being the leader of the Convention People’s Party.
“So he [Arkaah] became the Vice-President and from day one, things were not good between them. Arkaah was beyond salvation because he a very stubborn person,” Prof. Ahwoi said.
Prof. Kwamena Ahwoi has written a book entitled “Working with Rawlings” which he launched last week.
In the book, Prof. Ahwoi narrated his experiences working with the founder of the NDC, Rawlings and other notable persons who played diverse roles in the governance of Ghana.
Prof. Ahwoi was subsequently interviewed by Samuel Attah-Mensah on Foot Prints on Citi TV.
Click below to watch the full interview:
