National Youth Organizer of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), Henry Nana Boakye, has described the largest opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) as hypocrites for acting as if they want to see women progress to the highest position in politics with the appointment of Prof Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang as Running Mate of John Dramani Mahama.
According to him, the praising-singing following the announcement of the former Education Minister under the erstwhile Mahama administration as Mr Mahama's partner for this year's elections, is the height of political pretence.
Citing the treatment of former first lady Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings as an example, he posited that not only did the NDC deny her the opportunity to lead the party as its Presidential Candidate. but went on a name-calling spree, describing her as “greedy” and “Delilah in the life of Rawlings”.
FONKAR And GAME Revisited
The intra-party murmurings in the then ruling NDC became intense when two factions supported rival candidacies for the party's presidential nomination somewhere in 2011.
This was the genesis of what came to be known as FONKAR and GAME.
The pro-Rawlings faction Friends of Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings (FONKAR) supported the candidacy of Nana Konadu Agyemang-Rawlings, and the anti-Rawlings bloc that backed then President John Evans Atta Mills, was christened Get Atta Mills Endorsed (GAME).
John Evans Atta Mills humiliated Nana Konadu Agyemang-Rawlings overwhelmingly with 96.9% of votes cast to represent the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the 2012 general elections, the Electoral Commission (EC) of Ghana who supervised the NDC’s 2011 primaries announced.
President Mills got 2,771 votes representing 96.9% and Nana Konadu Agyemang-Rawlings got 90 votes representing 3.1%.
The total number of valid votes cast was 2,866, with five rejected ballots, the EC announced.
Volte-face
Speaking on Okay FM’s "Ade Akye Abia" Morning Show, Nana B as he is popularly known wondered why this sudden turn-around to praise and place women at the topmost position which the ruling NPP is doing already in the country.
“But if today the NDC is praising women, they should cast their minds back and if they have any apology, they must render to Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings. When she was contesting to be a Presidential Candidate, she was disgraced and called all sort of names. They said she was selfish, greedy in spite of the fact that she is the wife the party’s founder”, he mentioned.
Why Not Mrs Rawlings?
He reiterated that Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings was not only gunning for a Running Mate position, but rather the flagbearer slot of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to boost the confidence level of women to aspire for greater positions in politics; yet was sadly treated as a castaway.
To him, the NDC could have puffed up its chest in pride if the party had allowed Mr Rawlings to contest for that position unhindered, since that would have been a first.
“What happened to that noble woman? They insulted her; when the NDC was having their congress in Sunyani, they hooted at her when her name was mentioned. When she was going for a ‘Thank-You Tour’ in the Central Region after the congress, she was chased out of Cape Coast Town Hall and the place was locked up so she cannot meet anyone”, he recalled.
Deluded Praise-singers
He thus described as shameful, the sudden praise-singing by some gender groups that the opposition party is encouraging women participation in politics at the highest level, when a few years ago, a virtuous woman was severely denigrated and verbal assaulted for daring to rise up the political ladder in the NDC.
“.....where were these women when Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings was bastardized and insulted; someone whose house the NDC was formed and someone whose husband signed the party’s constitution with his blood? What did you do to her? Did you encourage the lady?
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Source: Daniel Adu Darko/Peacefmonline.com/[email protected]
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Konadu wasn't the most qualified. She felt she had the right because she was Mrs Rawlings. Hence we voted against her and she has been bitter since.
Oh so the husband ruled for 20 years so she has no right to contest? And was also right to attack her because the husband ruled? You see how intolerant and hypocrite you people are? And where were all the so called famine groups when all these were going on? Oh is now clear that NDC want to use this woman and dump her us usual. Anyway please market your flag bearer and stop putting attention on the running mate cos we will not see her picture on the ballot but your incompetent Mahama will be there.
When did the ndc and Mrs. Rawlings become your business, what kind of 'akurasi' politics do you people practice in Ghana, 'ka wano tum', you talk too much without 'nyansa.
Thank You Nana B for drawing our attention to the needful. We take it that you mean well and not that you’re taking our mother Nana Konadu for granted. We shall go personally to render our apology to our mother. However we wish to begin by using this medium to tell our mother that we are sorry for any way we treated her that offended her. We pledge to support her future bid for the top spot of the party if she chooses to return. Dear Dr Mrs Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings, we love you and please forgive us. Thank You. Asiedu Nketia.
Nana B is a ***barred word***!!!!! Why east Theresa Kuffour not made their flag bearer when Kuffour was existing? Konadu has been with the husband for 20yrs, so why her? NDC believes in democracy, unlike NPP that imposes aspirant MPs on their constituents. Because NPP looks at faces, people like you Boakyi can hold post you do. In the NDC, you will not even get the cleaner post.