Impeccable reports reaching The Herald suggest that Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings, aka“She Who Must Be Obeyed,” has fired her lifelong friend, Miss Shirley Ayittey, from the 31st December Women’s Movement (DWM).

Miss Ayittey, who held the post of a treasurer in the Movement, was booted out ahead of the Sunyani National Delegates Congress which saw the election of Prof. John Atta Mills as the flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), for the 2012 presidential polls.

According to The Herald’s sources at the North Ridge office of the ex-First Lady, Mrs. Rawlings has been bitterly angry with Miss Ayittey who is also the Minister for Science and Environment, for not endorsing her long-cherished ambition to lead the NDC and probably become first female president of Ghana.

Miss Ayittey is not the only one who is paying a price, for stepping on the toes of Mrs. Rawlings. Just last week Saturday, Madam Cecilia Johnson, was quoted by an eavesdropper as bitterly lamenting over something Mrs. Rawlings has done to her.

Miss Johnson who is now a Member of the Council of State, was telling a journalist of an Akan-speaking radio station based in Accra that Mrs. Rawlings was furious that she was not consulted when President Mills decided to appoint her to the Council.

Miss Ayittey was fired through a letter ostensibly dispatched on the instruction of Mrs. Rawlings.

Instead, Miss Ayittey who, though senior to Mrs. Rawlings in terms of age and at school, but subserviently addresses her as “Maa”, like many of the women in the 31st DWM, openly snubbed her, and pledged support for Prof. Mills.

According to our insiders, this singular act of Mrs. Rawlings comes as a shocker to their close associates and others in the NDC who have heard of the matter.

Their thinking at the time of going to Sunyani was that as somebody seeking the highest office in the land, Mrs. Rawlings must have a large heart to tolerate dissenting opinions.

Interestingly, Miss Ayittey is said to have also fired a salvo unto the lap of “She Who Must Be Obeyed”, demanding an up to date account of her stewardship of the 31st DWM, for her (Ayittey) to enable her to wash her hands off the Movement, since she (Ayittey) is a director and a shareholder of the Movement.

31st DWM is supposed to be a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO). However, it was used unashamedly to acquire so many properties, including the Nsawam Cannery; a bricks factory near Pambrose in Accra; an array of Ghana National Trading Company (GNTC) properties, including its headquarters at Accra; a Cocoa Processing Factory at Kpone, off the Tema-Aflao highway, as well as a bakery at Labadi in Accra.

With all these properties being held by Caridem Company Limited belonging to the 31st DWM, Mrs. Rawlings is believed to be one of the richest women in Ghana.

A graphic artist by profession, Mrs. Rawlings is meticulous and flamboyant in her appearance, and is said to be very uncomfortable and irritating if in her company, one tries to look better than her.

It is widely held that it is for this reason that the wife of Mr. Mike Gizo, a former minister in ex-President Rawlings’ government, a stunner, could never fit in the company of Mrs. Rawlings.

Other shareholders and directors of Caridem are Ms. Cecilia Johnson, Mr. Larry Adjetey and Mr. Kwame Addo.

Several attempts to speak to Ms. Ayittey proved futile as her official mobile phone (024435657…) could not go through.