Rawlings on Tuesday described Atta-Mills, his former Vice President of blessed memory, as someone who was “a man of impeccable integrity” and “lived by his solid principles and values”.
Rawlings’ remarks followed a meeting he had with Kofi Atta-Mills, the son of the late President, Koku Anyidoho, and others spearheading the Atta-Mills Institute (AMI).
Rawlings told Kofi Atta-Mills: “Your father was a good man and it is very important that you support the work Koku Anyidoho is doing to keep your father’s legacy alive because it will be in your own interest to do so and not allow yourself to be off-tracked.”
Kofi expressed his gratitude to the former President for giving his late father the opportunity to serve in his government which made it easier for him to later get elected as the President of Ghana.
“I am grateful to you Sir, for the opportunity you gave to my father and I am proud of what he was able to achieve for himself and the country,” he stated.
But Sekou Nkrumah in a Facebook post replied: “The hypocrisy of JJ is legendary! Today he is saying that Atta Mills was a good man?”
During the administration of late President Atta Mills, in 2010, Mr Rawlings was one known to have wielded quite influential roles in not only the then ruling party but also in the country, even though his tenure had long passed.
His fierce criticisms more often than not, used to set the tone for political conversations in the country.
One of such fierce criticisms was in 2010, when he launched quite a scathing attack on the then-president John Evans Atta Mills for what he described as his incapacity to make substantive changes in the country as he promised.
Amongst other things Mr Rawlings accused the Mills led administration of losing the high moral ground to fight corruption.
“Today when we take one step forward, we take two steps backwards, two steps forward, two and half steps backwards. We took several steps forward in 2000, they [the NPP government] took as back again, now 2008 we (NDC administration) have taken over, we are expected to move forward but we do not move forward," Rawlings said while addressing party faithful at the Tamale Jubilee Park during the 31st-anniversary commemoration of the June 4 uprising.
Former President Jerry John Rawlings