Founder of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) Jerry John Rawlings has defended his open but rather harsh criticisms against the late former President Atta Mills’ administration.

His defence comes after his former appointee Prof. Kwamena Ahwoi revealed in his book, ‘Working with Rawlings’ that Mr Rawlings had some outstanding issues with the late Atta Mills particularly on mistrust amongst others.

According to the former Local Government Minister, the verbal attacks of Mr Rawlings made Prof Mills almost tendered in his resignation as Ghana’s president in 2010.

But, in a well-detailed reply to Prof Ahwoi’s book by, former President Rawlings' Office, he said he did not criticise Mr Mills on the basis of hatred as the ‘Working with Rawlings’ book had portrayed.

Mr Rawling said he did it with good intentions.

Mr Rawlings noted that although he frequently reprimanded Mr Mills openly in the media, he offered “counsel and suggestions strictly to the good of Mills’ presidency and that of his government.”

“Rawlings has always remained consistent in his open and bona fides criticisms of President Mills’ administration which, to date, are still outstanding matters,” the

Highlighting some of those major issues that he wanted Prof Atta Mills to address, former President Rawlings said, “The failure of the Mills government to investigate the assassination of the Yaa-Naa and 40 of his elders," got to him.

He also cited “President Mills’ inability to look into the death of Alhaji Issa Mobilla, the late Northern Regional Chairman of the Convention People's Party (CPP).

Mr Rawlings added, “The failure of the Mills government to investigate and prosecute genuine fraudulent activities within President Kufuor’s administration and the lack of dedication to the party ideals of probity and accountability, as well as the monetisation of the NDC internal electoral processes.”

The NDC founder then concluded that Prof Ahwoi was “generously economical with the truth” in his book.

“The book attempts to chronicle the history of the role Kwamena Ahwoi played as an appointee of the former President, but disappointingly employs fabrications and grapevine accounts to paint a denigrating picture of President Rawlings and his colleagues,” he added.