*Days After Getting Them Water & Good Roads*

Information picked up by The Herald reveals that some residents of Adjiriganor-East Legon are completely shocked at reports that ex-President Rawlings and his wife are currently looking for a residential apartment to rent as their new home, 143 days after fire gutted their North Ridge residence in Accra.

The residents are at a lost as to why Mrs. Rawlings would be looking for a house to rent whilst her husband is practically one of their high-profile neighbours.

The Adjiriganor inhabitants, particularly those in the gated NTHC Estates, relish how Mr. Rawlings’ presence in the area alone was enough to ensure regular water supply after years of being milked dry by water tank drivers.

They recalled also how the ex-President brought and indeed, personally supervised some personnel of the Road Ministry to repair and tar the only access road into their homes after years of neglect by the company they bought the houses from, NTHC Properties Limited; real estate developers.

Names such as Mr. Peter Mac Manu, ex-NPP National Chairman and one of nation’s prolific actresses; Nadia Buari were proudly mentioned as residents of the NTHC Estates but whose presence did not bring them water or good road until Mr. Rawlings was frequently seen in the area after the Valentine’s Day inferno in his official Ridge residence.

The house in question is, however, not located within NTHC Estates but just at the turning into the estate. It has for years being linked to Mr. Rawlings.

Some significant external features of the house are that it has a very tall wall and three heavy metal gates almost making it impossible to see the building itself from outside except the roof and lots of ornamental plants, akin to those at the Ridge residence, and dogs –Mr. Rawlings’ favourite pet – can always be heard barking from the house.

The house is washed with cream emulsion paint, roofed with red tiles and has several CCTV cameras mounted at the gates and other spots on the tall wall, which is also tiled. A visit to the area saw some men offloading road lamps from a blue-black Nissan pickup truck into the house.

“That is his personal house, he is always here”, some security personnel at the NTHC Estate main gate told The Herald yesterday, when this reporter enquired from them whether indeed Mr. Rawlings owns the house.

When Kofi Adams, an aide to the former president, was reached on the phone yesterday, he said he was not aware of the last time former president Rawlings stepped into that house.

On the issue of water running through the taps because former president Rawlings is in the area, he said those making the claims should know that it was the government which is rather solving their problems and not because Mr. Rawlings is living in the area that water is now flowing.

Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings had told Joy FM’s Evans Mensah, sit-in host of the Super Morning Show last Wednesday that she had been ‘perching’ with her mom whilst her husband stays at a "village house" in Tefle near Sogakope in the Volta Region, a situation she says is not good enough for her 33-year "married life."

Meanwhile in government circles, investigations conducted by The Herald reveal that the government indeed, offered a house for the Rawlingses to occupy but Nana Konadu flatly refused to occupy the house without any explanation.

The Herald sources say they were offered the house previously occupied by Mr. Francis Poku, the exiled-National Security Coordinator, and on which some renovation works were carried out but the former first lady declined the offer at the last minute preferring to put up with her mum, at Nyaniba Estates in Accra, instead.

The herald learnt following Mrs. Konadu’s decision to stay with her mother, government took steps to provide for her, including making security arrangements in the house to ensure her safety and that of her aged mother.

The decision to offer them what has become the official residence of the National Security Coordinator was taken after the government has combed the entire city to locate a state property for the former first family to occupy but realized that most of the state houses had been sold out by the previous government led by Mr. Kufuor.

The Herald learnt that at a point, the state bungalow near the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints which was once occupied by Mr. E.T. Mensah was also considered but it was realized that the building is a subject of litigation between Mr. Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey, whom it was sold to by the NPP government, and some deputy ministers in the Mills government hence the house should remain empty until the court case was over.

Interestingly, ex-President Kufuor announced in faraway South Africa, that a two bed room accommodation has been allocated him at Cantonments also in Accra by government, however, he was using his pocket money to pay his staff.

Meanwhile the Deputy Minister of Information James Agyenim-Boateng has described Mrs. Rawlings’ claims as “very much unfortunate” considering the kind of efforts by the government to provide them with a temporary accommodation, but was shot down by Mrs. Rawlings.

“Indeed we have tried to provide the former First Family with accommodation that is befitting, that can reasonably guarantee their safety and security pending renovation works on their Ridge residence which burnt down.”

Mr. Agyenim-Boateng was quoted by Joy FM as saying the Rawlingses were first offered a residence at the AU Village, which is “pretty close to their burnt residence” as a holding place for them but they “turned down” the offer.

Another accommodation was sought for them at the residence of the former National Security Coordinator, Francis Poku, refurbished to befit their status, and yet, it was rejected.

"We felt that it was reasonably safe and secure for holding a former president and his spouse. The place was prepared to befit their status in terms of their safety and their security. Again the former President did like the place but the former First Lady did not like the place, based on that, it was turned down," he said.

The Deputy Information Minister revealed that it was Mrs. Rawlings herself who proposed to stay at her mother’s house, and to ensure the family’s safety, the government carried out “reasonable works” on her mother’s house and adequate security was also provided.

Touching on the burnt Ridge residence, Mr. Agyenim-Boateng said the former First Family wanted the place constructed in a “certain way and by a particular contractor”, but government is still waiting for the “drawings from them [Rawlingses]” for works to proceed on it.

On accommodation for former President John Agyekum Kufuor, he disclosed that government is in touch with his (Kufuor’s) officials to get him one.