Valerie Sawyerr deserves congratulations for speaking her mind – Obed Asamoah
A former national chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Dr Obed Yao Asamoah has congratulated Dr Valerie Sawyerr for speaking her mind and taking on the founder of the NDC, Mr Jerry John Rawlings.
According to Dr Asamoah, he has since sent a personal congratulatory message to Dr Sawyerr for speaking her mind.
In a radio interview on Accra based Joy FM Wednesday evening, Dr Asamoah said he was not surprised about the article Dr Valerie Sawyerr wrote, attacking Mr Rawlings.
“Infact, I congratulated her, I sent a text message congratulating her for speaking her mind. I think it is very good for the party and good for the country. People should speak up their minds, they shouldn’t be intimidated by anybody or terrorised by anybody. She's spoken her mind and she is entitled to do so.“
Read also: Dr. Valerie Sawyerr takes on Rawlings and writes: Ntomtom or Nwansena?
Asked if the way Dr Sawyerr dealt with Mr Rawlings frontally in the article was the best, Dr Asamoah said he also dealt with Jerry Rawlings frontally too, “we are in the same boat.”
On Dr Sawyerr’s article itself. Dr Asamoah said: “maybe the language maybe kind of flowery in places, but the point she is making is that he [Rawlings] is attacking everybody and he falls out with everybody including people he has worked closely with and that is what she is criticising and I think she's got a point there.”
He said to some extent the main issues that Dr Sawyerr raised in the article were valid.
Asked whether that will not deepen the division in the party, Dr Asamoah said: “People must be used to criticism, that is the whole thing, why should the party’s division be wider or deepened just because somebody has spoken her mind, I really don’t understand that, people should be tolerant and begin to accept the right of people to express their opinion freely, so I really don't see what she has said is going to make matters worse than they are already. What we have to do is all of us to develop a good spirit of cooperation and harmony and the party goes on."
Dr Asamoah said a lot of people were not happy with the consistent manner in which he [Rawlings] has been criticising elements in the party in the "holier than though attitude" form of persecution.
Writer's email: enoch.frimpong@graphic.com.gh