Letting light into history- Book review

My second area of interest is the author’s own personal involvement and contribution to these developments, all the way from Provisional Council (PMDC) PNDC through the formation of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), the transition to democracy and beyond.

With his undoubted intelligence and frenetic energy, Kwamena did not disappoint Rawlings or Ghana when these resources were required.

Even reading this book and following on the many areas of his input into discussions, policy formulation and implementation, as well as his physical presence around the country and the world, makes me tired.

There were innumerable committees on which he served or for which he had to find the right persons to nominate, his different ministerial assignments, including serving simultaneously as Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of Local Government in a one-year period- these are just astonishing.

Most of all, it is the record of his being involved in finding the right people for many important positions that shows that he had more than a ringside seat in the making of history. He was in the ring.

Revealing

Talking of the right people brings me to some of the most revealing episodes in the book. The story about how Prof. Mills was discovered and persuaded to become the Vice-President of Ghana alone is worth a hundred times the price of this book.

The same goes for the “discovery” of Dr Kwadwo Afari Gyan to join the Electoral Commission (EC) is even more magical.

I must say that on both occasions, beer was implicated somewhere and our author played a leading role and it can be said that without his involvement and intervention, history may have taken a different turn.

Personality

Finally, perhaps the part of the book that engrossed me and kept my nose right into the pages is the personality of Rawlings as he emerges in this book.

Perhaps, the best way to describe Ghanaian’s perception of President Rawlings is like the six blind men and the elephant. Everyone has a different way of experiencing the man, depending on where you touched, or more importantly where he touched you.

Overall, the Rawlings in this book is a human being – impulsive, considerate, contradictory, focused and generous. But these are not attributes that come out in single doses.

He is all of them at once. Let me illustrate this with an important episode in the book. Prof. Ahwoi tendered in his resignation when he felt that Rawlings has orchestrated a newspaper editorial against him.

That same day, Rawlings invited him and his family to take an aerial trip over Ghana’s airspace followed by a sumptuous meal at the castle on their return. The author feels that this was Rawlings’s way of apologising for what could have been a miscalculation.

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Loaded

This is a good book so loaded with events, anecdotes and insights that this review can only scratch the surface. It is a record of many happenings in the PNDC, the NDC governments of Rawlings and Mills.

It confirms some theories and hypotheses about some of Rawlings’ relationship with some of his retinue and even with other leaders after his time in office.

In reality, the book confirms the rumoured testy and fractious relationship between Rawlings and several people, including President Atta Mills and Capt. Kojo Tsikata. The stuff of whispers has been laid bare.

The proverb that you don’t contradict the frog when it reports the death of the crocodile under the river comes to mind.

The controversies that have erupted in the past week since the launch of the book centre on the bizarre, such as the alleged squeeze of Mr Bede Ziedeng’s testicles, or on the fact that Rawlings does not emerge as a saint in this book. That is because, by definition he is human. In any case, this is one person’s story.

In my view, Working with Rawlings is a well-researched and well-written book. It is neither a partisan project nor an attempt to defend the Rawlings era. It is a sincere effort to tell the story from his vantage point in an honest and candid book. It is also a humorous book which adds to its readability.

We need more of such books that reveal the inner workings of our governments and the people and characters that sustain them.

Those disparaging the author for his candidness might do better to write their own. This is his book and his story. We have room for more.

I have to commend the publisher, Fred Labi and Digibooks for publishing this wonderful book well-designed and printed.

Reviewer’s E-mail: kgapenteng@gmail.com