I Have Never Stolen In My Life - Konadu Rawlings

The former first lady, Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings, has described recent newspaper publications that she has stashed some money in foreign banks as false and lies and a calculated attempt to criminalise her, declaring, "I have never stolen in my life.

"There are people who are just interested in bringing us down to the level of people who can steal, but when we try to explain, our explanations are also taken from a different angle," the former first lady complained.

Nana Konadu stated this during an interview with Ben Dotse Malor of the BBC, which was broadcast on the programme, 'Talk about Africa' on the BBC World Service on Wednesday.

She challenged any individual or groups of people who have documents to the effect that she stole money belonging to the state to proceed to the law courts.

On the 31st December Women's Movement (DWM) which has generated some amount of controversy of late, the ex-first lady said the movement is still operational.

She explained that the DWM was not a politically-oriented movement but a private entity that was committed to the aspirations of Ghanaian women.

Asked whether the movement has been getting support from the present government, Nana Konadu, who is a few days from 54 years, answered proverbially that; "The sunflower always turns to where the sun is and not to the cloud."

Explaining the proverb, she said the movement is aware that it will not get the support of the government and so it needs not seek financial support from the present administration.

She, however, stated that the DWM still has the good-will of the international community and expressed the hope that the movement will continue to have outside sources of funding.

Turning to her present engagements, Nana Konadu, who was one of Africa's longest serving first ladies, disclosed that she regularly organises her husband's office and that of the DWM. She is still committed to tasks that are aimed at ensuring women empowerment.

The eloquent lady was of the view that she had expected to have more moments of joy with her husband, Jerry John Rawlings, after they left office than they are having at the moment .

A mother of four, she feels her position as first lady offered her the opportunity to interact with other women of international repute.

She, however, complained that she never had the opportunity to work as a first lady at certain periods of the two decades regime of Jerry Rawlings.

She explained that during the PNDC regime she did not have the opportunity to accompany the husband during foreign trips.

"Sometimes I will only hear that my husband has travelled without my being pre-informed. Sometimes I ask of him only to be told that he had embarked on a four-day trip to, maybe, Egypt, Libya or any other country," she told Ben of BBC."

The ex-first lady said in 1993 she told officials of State Protocol to include her in any trip her husband embarked upon and through her tenacity this happened from 1993 up to the period her husband left office.

She disclosed during the interview that she enjoyed the protocols of a first lady for only a year. Asked to explain, she said it was in 1999 that she was given an office as first lady.

"How would you rate the present performance of the First Lady, Mr. Theresa Kufuor?" Ben asked. "

This is not something I can do so I think I will leave that for posterity to judge," was Mrs. Rawlings' answer.

On whether she has been sharing her long experience with the current first lady, Nana Konadu stated that she has never been invited by anyone for that purpose.