Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings, Why Now?

Ask Margaret Jackson

“Life is a series of surprises and would not be worth taking or keeping if it were not.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson.

Indeed, if life were not full of surprises, which come with ups and downs, I would not have decided to write this article today. Life is full of uncertainties, therefore, we normally do not get what we believe is rightfully ours. Sometimes we are overwhelmed by circumstances which make us falsely believe that life has not treated us fairly. But I strongly believe that when we feel that life has pinned us to the wall with no exit to escape, we should not lose heart or give up, but soldier on, because there has always been light at the end of the tunnel.

It was in the second week of July 2011, when the National Democratic Congress (NDC), held its national congress in Sunyani to elect its flagbearer for the 2012 elections. Two formidable individuals, President Mills and Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings were the two contestants in the election which generated so much tension in the annals of the NDC party. Never before has the party experienced such tensed atmosphere because Nana Konadu is the wife of former president Rawlings who also doubles as the founder of the NDC party and the man who single-handedly blessed President Mills as his successor.

Had it not been the cool-headedness of some NDC party gurus, the party’s congress in Sunyani would have been a non-starter. But the high-mindedness of some top guns in the party saved the situation and eventually led to the successful congress which elected President Mills as the 2012 flagbearer of the NDC. It was however reported that when the results of the elections were declared Nana Konadu did not even stay to congratulate President Mills but left the podium with his husband, Rawlings.

This act by Konadu and Rawlings set many political minds thinking as to what next they would do. It was not long after when Konadu and Rawlings declared rather subtly that they would not join in the NDC 2012 campaign. But Nana Konadu who has other serious ill-feelings within her, never blurted it out but kept it to herself. That was what promoted me to write an article last week urging the NDC to find some ways to talk to Konadu to let go of any ill-feelings so that Rawlings may also throw away any pent-up feelings or hatred he has towards some NDC top guns in the interest of the party’s unity towards the 2012 elections.

By my rough calculations, it is 8 months since the NDC held its congress in Sunyani and water indeed has passed since the congress, making many people including me to believe that as far as the congress was concerned everybody has let sleeping dogs to lie. But not Nana Konadu who went to the University of Ghana, Legon over the weekend to wake up the dogs by barking that President Mills rigged the elections during the NDC congress in Sunyani. The occasion was an address to the Akuafo Hall Ladies wing of the Students Representative Council. Curiously enough it was the same time that the NDC was holding its first ever rally for the year 2012 at the Mantse Agbona, James Town in Accra.

This charge by Nana Konadu which has received a wider coverage has set some tongues wagging as to why she waited that long to make such a wild allegation. And I am wondering why Nana Konadu timed her allegation to coincide with the rally being held at the same by her party which she and Rawlings refused to attend.

When two people (a man and a woman) decide to marry, there is this famous announcement that we often hear in churches. You often hear the announcer saying, “banns of marriage”, followed by, “We announce the banns of marriage between (Name of party) of ........ and (Name of other party) ......... If any of you know cause or just impediment why these persons should not be joined together in Holy Matrimony, ye are to declare it, or forever hold your peace.”

That is why I found it very strange that if Nana Konadu indeed believes that the flagbearership election was rigged in favour of President Mills why wait till 8 long months before breaking her silence? Does she think it will boost up her image or what? What does she gain in doing that? And to add to this strange behaviour by Nana Konadu, she stated at that same forum that she had been silent over the issue in order to protect the unity of the party founded by her husband.

If anybody would indeed believe that Nana Konadu had been silent for the sake of party unity, why did she not continue to be silent? And most importantly why did she jab the NDC at the time the party was holding its first major rally in Accra? Why break the so-called silence? Was Nana Konadu provoked or she just wanted to chip off the success of the rally by sharing the spotlight in news coverage?

In life there are certain things better not said at certain times. You may be aggrieved over certain things done to you, but sometimes it is the way you present your case and the timing that helps push people to sympathize with you. Timing in making certain decisions in life is very important, therefore, if Nana Konadu even has any beef against the NDC, it would be very difficult at this point to get people to her side by what she did last Saturday. The chatter that I am gathering is that NDC folks are saying that Nana Konadu and Rawlings are trying to send the NDC into opposition to spit President Mills.

There is something that I want to drum home to Nana Konadu if she cares to listen. She has or is gradually taking the biggest political gamble in her life. If she and Rawlings snubs the NDC in the 2012 campaigns and the party coasts to victory, she and Jerry becomes toast. They are done! Finito! They should know that if the NDC wins without them, they lose face and their political stature in the NDC family diminishes significantly. They should therefore, know that their political careers and that of their children as far as the NDC is concerned would be over. On the other hand, if God forbid and the NDC loses (which I very much doubt) the elections, Nana Konadu and Jerry would never be forgiven by the party faithful. They should mark my words.

Nana Konadu should never think that if the NDC loses the up-coming elections, she can easily jump into the saddle to reclaim the party. If she harbours such intentions, she is making the biggest political mistake. Because should the NDC even lose the elections Konadu and Rawlings would be the two individuals to be blamed. They would be on the lips of every NDC member. If they do not know, already it is sinking into the minds of people in the NDC family that Nana Konadu and Jerry are working hard to send the NDC into opposition. And trust me if people begin to think like that against you, it becomes really difficult to gain their trust and also to court them. Nana Konadu should therefore think again! Before I sign off, I would like my readers and to a large extent the NDC members to ponder over these words, “Things turn out best for people who make the best out of the way things turn out.” - Marc and Angel Hack. Please keep pondering over these words till you read my next article. God Richly Stay With You!

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