By Ibrahim Jibril Ikowe
It takes only the courageous to live through what Nana Kunadu Agyemang Rawlings, wife of the late Ghanaian leader, Flt Lt Jerry John Rawlings is presently going through. She lost her husband on November 12, 2020 to the dreaded Covid-19 virus. She had buried her mother-in-law just about two weeks earlier in October, and now come Monday December 7, 2020, she would have to face alone the dream and vision she had shared and worked hard with her husband for many years, the Presidential election of Ghana, without the love of her life! It does not end there. Win or lose, she will bury her husband on December 23, 2020.
Mrs Rawlings, 72, is the Presidential bearer of the National Democratic Party(NDP), one of the ten parties contesting for the number of one citizenship of Ghana.
In a phone interview with Gavel International, Mrs Rawlings said “it is not easy burying my mother-in-law in October, losing my husband in November, and then contesting an election in December”. She also told Gavel International that December 23, 2020 has been fixed to bury her husband.
Some 17 million Ghanaians have registered to vote in the election that will determine the next Ghanaian leader. 12 candidates are on the ballot out of which three are women. They are Mrs Rawlings, Brigitte Dzogbenuku, a former beauty queen, and Akua Donkor.
It also includes the incumbent President, Nana Akufo Addo, the man he defeated four years ago. Akuofo Addo is seeking a second term, while Mahama wants a comeback. Mrs Rawlings is not however new to politics. She contested against Mahama in 2016 on the platform of NDC but she lost.
However, the elections will be conducted in an atmosphere of grief, resulting in the death of late President Rawlings whose efforts have placed Ghana in the history book of peaceful democratic transition, and a shining symbol of democracy in West Africa. It remains to be seen if Ghanaians will compensate the widow of Rawlings with the Presidency for the true work he did, and which his widow has the capacity to continue.
The Incumbent President is facing a tough time as opposition parties claim that are suffering under his leadership, and his party, NPP. But Hon Yousif Fofana, the man who runs Public Affairs for NPP and the President told Gavel International:”Akufo Addo has brought Ghana to an enviable level among the African countries and believe me most of these countries look up to us,Ghana, because of the excellent work our leader his excellency Nana is doing”.
Fofana continued: “Do you know that Motorcars manufacturers have besieged Ghana to set up assembly plants? We now assemble Syno Trucks, Toyota, Nissan,VW are in Ghana now. Look at education, when Mahama the former president was there, he clearly stated that it is not possible for Ghana to implement free education. Nana now offers free education with feeding”.
Fofana, an executive member of NPP proudly stated that “Nana of Ghana is the third President in the whole world that managed covid19 well in his country “During covid19 light /water billing was canceled. No Ghanaian paid for light /water during the lockdown. Looking at these qualities in Nana I think he deserves a second term”.
Hon Fofana also accused ex-President Mahama of giving several contracts to his brother, Ibrahim, before he left office after losing to Akufo Addo.
Efforts to speak to Mr Mahama and his brother Ibrahim proved abortive as they were all busy for the last minute campaign.
But Hon Jibril Maestro,the Media Secretary to National Democratic Congress, said Ibrahim Mahama went through and followed due process before he was given such contacts.
Ghanaians are however making a case for Mahama with a local proverb, “go back to the divorced wife”, which literally means they voted out NDC led by Mahama four years ago and now they are saying SANKOFA (take back Mahama).
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