A patron of the Democratic Freedom Party (DFP), Dr Obed Asamoah, has said that it would be appropriate for Former President Jerry John Rawlings to honour the invitation to attend the 50th Anniversary celebration while he continued to be critical of governance issues.

“I will have wished that he attends the anniversary in the name of peace, unity and national reconciliation,” Dr Asamoah said in an interview granted to the Ghanaian Chronicle adding, “he can still continue to express his sentiments on issues that he thinks are very necessary.

“In fact if I were him, I will have honoured the invitation in spite of his reservations.”

Dr Asamoah who was the former Minister of Justice and Attorney General in the National Democratic Congress era observed that the Former President’s attendance would earn him more sympathy for his cause to put the government on its toes.

“What people want is some kind of reconciliation. People are looking for peace and stability of this nation and they will be happy to see Rawlings participating in the celebrations...”

Dr Asamoah said the Former President’s rejection of the invitation would create the impression that “he is behaving out of anger. People would want to see that at this time of the nation’s anniversary, his anger takes a back seat and show a certain commitment or an interest in the nation’s history”.

He said there was no basis for complaints on the timing of the invitation
Not but noted that an official invitation letter could have been extended first to the Former President followed by the delegation.

The DFP leader also observed that Ghana had something to celebrate for the progress she has made from 1957.

“...I think we must celebrate it. It is an opportunity for us to look back and see what we have not done and correct our mistakes.”