Leaders must empower the people - Rawlings

Former President Jerry John Rawlings has spoken about the penchant for some leaders on the African continent and elsewhere to disempower their people in a bid to perpetuate their stay in power.

He said it was erroneous for people to assume that he could have stayed on after his constitutionally mandated two terms as President expired in 2000.

“Some people say I could have abused the constitutional order and stayed on, but I tell them I couldn’t because I had empowered the people. When you empower people you make them positively defiant so they will stand up to you when you try to misbehave. But in some parts of Africa and the world, we don’t empower, we disempower, so we can stay as long as we want and they can’t stand up to us,” Flt Lt. Rawlings said.

The former President, who spoke during a courtesy call on him by a delegation from the African Forum on Religion and Government (AFREG) on Tuesday September 26, said the desire to impress our peers had affected our ability to lead modest lifestyles.

Earlier Dr. Dela Adadevoh, Chairman of AFREG informed President Rawlings that the fourth African Forum on Religion and Government will be held at Elmina from October 2 to 5.

Dr Adadevoh said AFREG was borne out of the realization that though Africa is incurably religious, its impact on personal life, ethics, governance and service to humanity was negligible.

“Sunday Christianity does not translate to Monday integrity,” he noted

AFREG, Adadevoh indicated, aims at ensuring that the religiousness of Africans is translated into transformational leadership, good governance, societal transformation and national development.

The AFREG head commended former President Rawlings for sustaining the Fourth Republic by retiring when his term expired in 2000.

“I have to commend you for retiring in your 50s when you still had a lot of energy and fire in you,” he said

Dr. Adadevoh indicated that AFREG had chosen the theme, ‘Africans Rising Together: Reconciliation and Reconstruction’ to address the quiet divide caused by the Trans-Atlantic slave trade and its historical reflections and implications. He highlighted the fact that many African Americans still feel betrayed because some of their ancestors were sold into slavery.

“This year’s conference is aimed at involving Africans in the diaspora so they can express their views and disagreements in a bid to create a channel to move forward. Our objective is to become history makers, learn lessons and shape a new destiny together,” Dr. Adadevoh said.

Staff of the former President’s office present at the meeting, Yaw Djin, Elikplim Katahena, Juana Boateng and Kobina Andoh took turns to urge AFREG to embrace the youth in their deliberations.

Juana Boateng highlighted the fact that the youth population was huge and vulnerable to the negative aspects of technology and hence needed to be targeted in any drive to seek societal transformation. Elikplim Katahena was of the view that Africans across the globe should come together to dedicate themselves to support the continent with their knowledge and resources. She was of the view that the lack of a coordinated approach in pursuing African interests had adversely affected the development of the continent.