General News of Monday, 16 May 2011

Source: The Herald

JJ’s Daughters Take Over Mum’s Campaign

On May 4, Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings stormed the Kokomlemle headquarters of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the company of two of her three beautiful daughters, Yaa Asantewaa Agyeman-Rawlings and Amina Agyemang-Rawlings, to pick nomination form to become Ghana’s female president.

But unknown to many, the two politically naive girls were there with their mum as her Personal Assistant and Director of Strategy respectively, while their dad, the would be “First Gentleman,” ex-President JJ Rawlings, sat at home sipping Scotch Whisky and puffing cigar, and waiting to make his “traitors and enemies speech”.

Yaa Asantewaa Agyeman-Rawlings and lawyer Amina Rawlings are not the only politically inexperienced in the Nana Konadu Campaign team. The other two Rawlingses – Dr. Ezanetor Agyeman-Rawlings, the eldest, who is nursing a baby for Mr. Herbert Mensah and Economist Kimathi Agyeman-Rawlings, the youngest of the four children and the only man among them – are, for now, not assigned any role.

A cursory observation of Nana Konadu’s 20-man team penciled on a list exclusively available to The Herald, confirms why the team lacks bite as it has no single person considered as an astute politician to prosecute the Konadu agenda to oust President John Mills whose 25-man campaign team has a mixture of experienced, youthful and exuberant politicians.

The only two persons on the team who appears to have some experience with elections are a defeated NDC Parliamentary aspirant for the Bunkpurugu-Yunyoo Constituency, Namburr Berrick and Michael Teye Nyaunu, NDC MP for Lower Manya Krobo in the Eastern Region. The two have no clout in the ruling NDC.

Also missing from the campaign team list is Mr. Kofi Adams, the spokesperson for Mr. Rawlings, and the top hierarchy of Members Of Friends Of Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings (FONKAR).

Political analysts are of the view that the Konadu Campaign Team which appears to be hitting a snag, was only built conspicuously to be on the shoulders of her husband, and the NDC. Mr. Rawlings, whose strong personality and charisma play, an important factor in the electoral fortunes of the NDC may not make any positive impact in her favour.

Yaa Asantewaa Rawlings is partnering the disgraced former General Secretary of the NDC, Dr. Josiah Aryeh, as the Director of Strategy. Whilst Amina Agyemang-Rawlings features in the campaign team as Personal Assistant to her mother.

Veteran journalist and former editor of The Ghanaian Times, Mr. Christian Aggrey, billed to occupy the post of Media Strategist/Agenda Setting, declined the invitation, creating a serious weakness in one of the limbs of the communications structure.

The Director of Media/Communications is one Ms Erica Agyei with Mr. Herbert Mensah – legible son-in-law of Nana Konadu – vaguely given the post of “Link To The Media”, Mr. Kobina Andoh is Press Secretary while Mr. Mohammed Nasiru, has been given Co-ordinator’s role as voice of the team.

It will be recalled that Mr. Nasiru is the one who secretly sneaked into to the NDC headquarters to pick up nomination forms for Dr. Ekow Spio-Garbrah, another aspirant for the flagbearership of the party.

The Head of Logistics position went to Mr. Sidii Abubakar, who is assisted by Ms Sylvia Ahorlu. The Director of Finance/Budget went to one Mr. Tetteh, and the Campaign Administrator is Ms. Mildred Annan, with Stanley Ahorlu acting as Campaign Lawyer.

The Campaign Co-ordinators are the MP for Lower Manya Krobo, Mr. Teye Nyaunu and Mr. Berrick. The two recently complained about the refusal of NDC delegates across the country to endorse Nana Konadu’s nomination form (two people from each of the 230 constituencies) which will qualify her as a competitor for the July 10, 2011 flagbearership national congress. But political analysts think her campaign team, only made up of people believed widely to be political neophytes.

Meanwhile, President Mills has put in place a 25 member campaign team. The team is a mixture of experienced, youthful and exuberant politicians. Region and District campaign teams are expected to be announced soon.

The team is chaired by former Majority Leader and Member of Parliament (MP) for Berekum, Dr. J.H. Owusu Acheampong, with Mr. Isaac Nii Gyamah Vanderpuije, as his deputy.

Others include: Mr. Fred Ohene-Kena, Mr. Kwame Peprah, Mr. Kofi Totobi Quakyi, Mr. Ato Ahwoi, Madam Sherry Aryittey, Presidential Aide Nii Lantey Vanderpuije and Madam Cecilia Johnson, an ex-General Secretary of the 31st December Women’s Movement.

It also has Haruna Iddrisu, Ms Ama Benyiwa Doe, Mr. Elvis Afriyie Ankrah, Cletus Avoka, Mr. Yaw Antwi-Gyamfi, Mr. Mahama Ayariga, and Hon. Rashid Pelpuo.

The rest are Hon. Emmanuel Bedzra, Dr. Asima, Madam Sylvia Osei, Dr. Stephen Opuni, Dr. Omane Boamah, Madam Bertha Ansah-Gyan, Mr. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa and Alhaji Mahama Fuseini.