Betty For President

Education Minister Betty Mould-Iddrisu has announced her desire to become President of Ghana.

She however did not make it clear whether or not she would be contesting the flag-bearer primaries of the National Democratic Congress (NDC).

Betty, in an interaction with Joy FM’s Bola Ray on Thursday evening, said she “absolutely” desires to become President or at least Vice-President of Ghana and that her years of experience in politics could help in achieving that presidential ambition.

Betty, a former Attorney General and Minister of Justice, said her hallmark had always been to aspire to the topmost position wherever she found herself and she had always encouraged people to adopt that attitude in life. “When I was teaching, I also told my students always go for the top; don’t be satisfied with the third or second position – aim for the sky,” she added.

Touching on her political experience, Betty said she felt good being Ghana’s first female Attorney General: “I was Ghana’s first female Attorney General, you know, how good can that be? You know, to get right to the top of your profession…I can tell you that was a very difficult time but I made it; I actually made it.”

Mrs. Mould-Iddrisu was proposed by both ex-President Rawlings and his wife Nana Konadu as a preferred running mate to the then candidate John Evans Atta Mills for the 2008 general elections.

The candidate however settled on John Mahama but appointed Betty as Minister of Justice and Attorney General the moment the NDC took over government.

Her interview with Bola Ray touched on other issues including her school days and matrimonial home.

She conceded that she was under tremendous pressure as Attorney General, saying that her new job as Education Minister was not as tedious as being the Attorney General.

“My day now is less frenetic than it used to be when I was Attorney General. With the Attorney General’s position, you can get called from 5 am. When I open my eyes, I might have as many as 20 or 30 missed calls from radio stations…yeah! Radio stations from all over the country.

“And they get very indignant; not all of them are as nice as you Bola. You know some of them get indignant when you are sleepy at 6am. So I’m [better] now and I try to exercise, I work out a couple of times a week before I go to work,” Betty added.

She said it had always been her dream to serve Ghana and strive for success as a woman: “I’ve always been driven; I’ve always had the desire to do a lot for my country, especially, for the women of my country – to be a role model, you know, to teach the way, to show women that they can achieve the almost impossible.

“I come from that background where the women strive for success; where the women are actually the hub of the family. And I wanted to transcend family and go into the workforce and it happened for me,” Betty added. Betty is already nursing the ambition to contest the Affigya Kwabre constituency parliamentary seat in the Ashanti region on NDC ticket.

The Education Minister, who is a native of Ejuratia, according to sources, has made wide contacts with influential leaders of the constituency.