Konadu Speaks

Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings

Posted on: www.dailyguideghana.com

By William Yaw Owusu

Accra, Thursday November 1, 2012.

FORMER FIRST Lady Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings has taken a swipe at some National Democratic Congress (NDC) elements for always trying to draw her into the infamous judgement debt debate.

She said she had taken notice of what she called “the lies” the ruling party had sought portray of her since she left them to lead the National Democratic Party (NDP) but added that she was not perturbed.

 “I have resigned from the NDC and I would not like to talk about them. I want to concentrate on the NDP and tell Ghanaians what we have for them. Whatever they did and what they could not do…the theft and the lies I leave it with them.”

Speaking to Peace Fm in Accra Monday, Nana Konadu, wife of former President J.J. Rawlings, founder of the ruling NDC said “I have not collected any judgment debt as is being spread by these people… The lies flying around are too much and I won’t sit down for them to tell lies about me.”

She said in 2008, they won a case in court to be awarded $5 million and the issue went on appeal by the Kufuor administration.

She said as there was a change of government they negotiated with the Attorney General and government decided it could afford GH¢3 million and they had to accept it because the issue was dragging adding “This cannot be judgment debt…We fought a case in court and won it.”

She debunked claims by the NDC that she and her husband were using the NDP to collapse the ruling party saying “we have no plans to collapse the NDC. They abandoned the principles of probity and accountability so I had to advise myself.”

“If I look at what is going on in the NDC it is not how we started it. I was in a party where people can speak boldly that they have built four houses and get away with it. This should not happen…We should all be bold to question such characters.”

Discussing the pervading corruption in the country, Mrs. Rawlings wondered why “somebody who was a nonentity could pay $200,000 cash for a vehicle outright and we should not question such a person.”

“We should just be bold and confront corruption which is engulfing the country. We need to checkmate ourselves.”

She said the former first family was not the only people talking about corruption adding “I believe a lot of people have realized the danger corruption is posing for the country… Some people fear to talk about the issue because they are sometimes intimidated.”

On allegation that she had been compromised to drop out of the presidential contest, the former First Lady said “I can’t be compromised. I won’t take anybody’s money to truncate my political ambitions.”

“We built the party on the basis of principles. Our aim is to help uproot corruption in the system and I would not collect bribe…it will never happen. Nobody has given me a pesewa to shed my political ambition. Those spreading the falsehood must stop. My reputation is always at stake and I won’t let Ghanaians down.”

She said she would not let her numerous NDP supporters down saying “Oyokos (clan) don’t enter into a battle and withdraw… they fight on. I can’t abandon my people in the middle of the river. I will take the people across the river.”

She said it was untenable for people to hold that once her husband ruled for almost 20 years she could also not contest to become President saying “I was not the President. I took advantage of my husband’s position and dedicated my life towards the empowerment of women in Ghana.”

She was optimistic the court would order the Electoral Commission to reinstate her in the December presidential contest and also said the NDP had 170 parliamentary candidates across the country for the elections.