John Mahama attributes Rawlings’ ‘snub’ to mood swings

Former President John Mahama has attributed the seeming tension between him and former President Jerry John Rawlings’ to his [Rawlings] mood swings.

According to him, “sometimes he’s [Rawlings] in a mood where he doesn’t want to engage in any conversation…”

Mr Mahama’s comment follows a viral video in what seemed like a cold handshake between him and his predecessor at the recent Silver Jubilee celebration of the Fourth Republic on Sunday.

The act has been interpreted by some as a sign of hostility between the two but Mr Mahama in an interview on GTV dispelled such suggestions.

“Sometimes he’s in a mood where he doesn’t want to engage in any conversation and so recently at the Thanksgiving; they were giving all kinds of interpretation to the handshake. There are occasions where he comes and you don’t know what mood he is in, he greets military style and passes but there are on some other occasions, I met him in Kpando and we had a very warm handshake and we exchanged pleasantries.

“There are sometimes you sit next to him and he is not in the mood to talk but sometimes you sit next to him and he is in the mood to talk. You have to learn what mood he is in and adjust to it.

“I don’t have any problem with President Rawlings; he gave me my opportunities in life. When I came in as a young member of parliament, it was his appointment as Deputy Minister that got me noticed and he appointed me as Minister of Communications until we left office in 2001, and so, I don’t have absolutely anything against President Rawlings,” Mr Mahama said.

Mr Rawlings has been a strong critic of the erstwhile Mahama administration.