Former Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Professor Kwamena Ahwoi, has made startling revelation about the late President John Evans Atta Mills, claiming he resigned from office but had to be persuaded to rescind his decision.
He said former President Mills had called him that he was going to announce his resignation because former President Flt. Lt. Jerry John Rawlings who brought him to political limelight was disturbing him.
According to Prof. Ahwoi, the late Professor Mills had complained to him that he was receiving “constant attacks” on his personality from Mr. Rawlings, founder of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), who made him his vice between early 1997 and early 2001.
The ex-minister said the straw that broke the camel’s back was a comment Mr. Rawlings made in Tamale which made Prof. Mills call him (Ahowi) and said in Fante, “I have resigned.”
Prof. Kwamena Ahwoi
Speaking on Citi TV after the launch of his book entitled: “Working with Rawlings”, the former minister recounted that “there was one particular incident which caused President Mills nearly to resign. In fact, he resigned as President. The only thing that saved this country was that he called to tell me he was resigning.”
“I was at IEA conference at Aburi when he (Mills) called and said ‘Kwamena, have you heard about what Jerry (Mr. Rawlings) had gone to say about me in Tamale’ and I said no. Then he added ‘get the audio and listen to it because I have resigned and I don’t want anybody to stop me’,” he disclosed.
“And I said to him, Mr. President, I believed that you have decided to resign, but I also believe that you are not sure whether you have taken the right decision. You want a second opinion otherwise you would not have called to tell me. I would have heard about it in the media,” he narrated.
