2011 Primaries
Prior to her decision to contest President Mills in the 2011 NDC Primaries, Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings was the Vice-Chairman of the NDC, and she achieved that position by sheer merit, winning by a large majority at the 2010 Congress in Tamale. As with any other member of the Party or in the wider sphere, as a citizen of this country, she has a democratic right to contest an election employing hard work, a proven track record and sheer wit to her success. By doing so at the 2010 NDC Congress, she put herself in the spotlight, to be scrutinised and judged by the delegates who made their own decisions.
This is in clear juxtaposition to others who never put any work into the success or survival of the NDC Party, have manipulated events and people, to sow seeds of mistrust and disunity whilst promoting their own family agenda.
For the record the 2011 NDC primaries campaign of Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings, was led by personalities such as Hon. Michael Teye Nyaunu and Hon. Namburr Berrick.
PERSONAL OPINIONS
Varied personal opinions have been sought by the author in his bid to sully the image of President Rawlings and Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings. A tall list of personalities take turns to offer their apparent view of the Rawlings-Mills relationship.
It must be stated, that the claim by named persons in the book that Nana Konadu, at a meeting with Professor Mills requested for the Vice-Presidential slot is an outright fabrication. Nana Konadu never requested, indicated or discussed with any individual an intention or desire to be the running-mate to Vice-President Mills.
This book is quite unfortunately, riddled with countless fabrications and assumptions ascribed to said individuals who were thought to have more honour.
President Rawlings and President Mills had a good relationship during the latter’s tenure. They interacted several times via telephone and met a few times either at the Ridge residence or the Castle, Osu and at all times they treated each other with utmost respect. These meetings were at the behest of President Mills, so it is difficult to reconcile the so-called bitterness that Ahwoi portrays in his book to the reality of the relationship between Rawlings and Mills.
A number of personalities that the author refers to and others, have written publicly to disassociate themselves from the comments in the book. A clear indication of the credibility or lack thereof of its contents.
This book appears to have no aim of serving history with facts. It reads as an opportunistic and calculated attempt to ridicule President Rawlings and former First Lady Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings, using the personality of the late President John Atta Mills as the bait. From the inception, the author has harboured his own parochial agenda which clashed naturally with the integrity and accountability of Rawlings. Those of such ilk will continue to attempt to rewrite history to suit their selfish ends, but discerning minds will no longer be reticent of nor willing to tolerate such political trickery and subterfuge.
The truth is a debt owed to the memory of the departed as well as current and future generations. The true legacy of the PNDC into the NDC under President Jerry John Rawlings, is one that ought to be acknowledged if there exists a Fourth Republic that has endured.
Signed:
Kobina Andoh Amoakwa
(Communications Directorate)
