Sam Payne, a former Ashanti Regional Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), has revealed that his family had a personal beef with the late former President Jerry John Rawlings.
According to Sam Payne, his family’s issues with the late Jerry John Rawlings stem from some “militia” personnel and “border guards” who came to their home and arrested his entire family, including the children, at the time.
He disclosed that the event happened on a Sunday in September 1989.
Sam Payne detailed that his father, George Payne, was an opinion leader in the area and was arrested because the authorities believed his father was against the Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC), which was led by Jerry John Rawlings.
He further disclosed that following their arrest, the family was taken to various prisons across Ghana for no apparent reason.
Speaking in an interview on Neat FM on August 28, 2026, with excerpts shared on TikTok, Sam Payne recounted, “My family and I have had a longstanding personal beef with the late Jerry John Rawlings. In September 1989, we were kids when some militia personnel and border guards came to arrest us in our home.
Our house was close to the Côte d’Ivoire border, and they took us to almost all the prisons in Ghana for no apparent reason, simply because they felt that my father was against everything the PNDC did”.
He added, “My father was an opinion leader, and they were trying to punish him. They accused me of going to their barracks to beat the militia personnel and border guards, and then released some smugglers who had been arrested, allowing them to flee”.
Sam Payne further revealed that his family was eventually brought before a tribunal and charged with acting with the intention of sabotaging the country’s economy.
According to Sam Payne, that incident ultimately led to the longstanding beef.
“They took us around different prisons, and after six months, they finally released us. So, that issue is a beef,” he said.
He further alleged that the family was taken to various prisons across Ghana for six months, adding that they were eventually released in February 1990.
In other news, Former President John Agyekum Kufuor has boldly stated he does not regret withdrawing the diplomatic passport and courtesies of the late Jerry John Rawlings.
In a resurfaced old video of former President Kufuor, he revealed he never regretted withdrawing the diplomatic passport and courtesies of former President Jerry John Rawlings for smearing him on an international stage.
Speaking in the resurfaced video, in an interview with Bola Ray, when quizzed if he regrets withdrawing the former President Jerry John Rawlings diplomatic courtesies, Kufuour stated, “Do you know what he did to me, please don’t let us go into that. Not pay back, but I was the sitting head of state, he was formal and sitting in a way that personifies the state”.
“When you go out to some foreign lands to speak, to describe your sitting head of state as incompetent and a disgrace to the nation, suppose it was his time, you think you could have said that about him and come back to Ghana?”.
“He came after such a trip, demanding that all of these things that courtesies be extended. So I said no when you use the word courtesy, you should know that it is give and take. We withdraw so you don’t do it again”, he added.
When quizzed if he regretted his actions, Former President Kufuor boldly stated, No’, he does not regret doing that.
Watch the video below:
@swaytv2 My family and I have a personal beef with former President Jerry John Rawlings. He arrested members of my family, including me. #GhanaNews #foryoupage #GhanaPolitics #viralvideo #trendingvideo ♬ original sound – SWAY TV
@ghnow_ This is how Shantel arrived at the court today for the hearing of child custody #GHNow #fyp ♬ original sound – GHnow
@ghnow_ Humble Soul's lawyer disclosed that the custody battle case between Humble Soul and Shantel has been adjourned by the Kasoa Akwele District Court to November 13, 2026 #GHNow #fyp ♬ original sound – GHnow
