Former President of Ghana, Jerry John Rawlings has for the first time explained why he sacked his former aide Victor Smith.
The Former Ghana High Commissioner to the United Kingdom and Ireland, in 2008 the Special Assistant and Director of Public Affairs at Rawlings’ office was fired by J.J Rawlings via text message.
It was believed at that time that the dramatic action was precipitated by a standoff between Mr. Smith and former first lady Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings, following a Daily Guide report that the flagbearer of the NDC, Prof John Atta Mills, had chosen John Mahama as running mate.
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Mr Smith on Asempah FM’s Ekosii Sen programme said he could not forgive the former President for the way and manner in which he was booted out.
Speaking at the 38th anniversary of June 4 uprising at Wa in the Upper West region, Jerry Rawlings said he fired Mr. Smith because he attempted to receive funds meant for the NDC party, through his office without his knowledge.
In his narrative, the former President said, some Nigerians through his office decided to support the National Democratic Congress (NDC) campaign when late Prof. Atta Mills was the flagbearer, but Victor Smith decided to receive the money and take it directly to the campaign office.
“Some Nigerians invited us to the USA …to come and give a talk and commission some business for them… how many years later – when Prof Mills was our flag bearer, then this Nigerians decided to help, so, they were dealing with my office, Mr Victor Smith. Now I subsequently heard about it because there was a to-and-fro over this money, somebody finally called me that this is what is going on: ‘They know me, they want to give me the money and I can pass it on, not give it to Victor Smith, and Victor Smith is saying that: ‘no, he would take it to the prof, [because] I’m not the one who is going to be the candidate,
He added that eventually, neither he nor Prof Mills received any money, because the Nigerians were fed up with the way Victor Smith behaved.
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