By Abdul Razak Bawa
On Wednesday, October 11, all roads led to Aburi, precisely Peduase, where former president, John Agyekum Kufuor, was observing the one week on the passing of his wife, Theresa Kufuor.
Conspicuously missing since the announcement of the death of the former first lady, was none other than the first, first lady of the Fourth Republic, Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings.
Nana Konadu, for the 19 years that her husband was in charge of the affairs of this country, from his days as a military leader, until he hanged his uniform and embraced democracy, was larger than life. She was not only the first lady, but iron lady, who had way with everything and everyone.
Men stopped to bow at her, she could summon anyone and you dare not refuse to appear. She was more powerful than the vice-president, until the year 2000, when they exited office and handed over power to John Agyekum Kufuor.
Ecclesiastes 3:1-11 NIV says, There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing, a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.
Indeed, time has caught up with Nana Konadu, where she has gone into hiding or hiatus. The situation of the former first lady, was made worse, when she broke away from the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to form her National Democratic Party (NDP). This was after she failed in Sunyani, to lead the NDC, as its flagbearer, losing to President John Evans Atta Mils.
What began as an unbridled ambition was to set the stage for her destruction. Nana Konadu, after that ill-informed decision to contest Prof. Mills, set in place a motion that was to take her from political relevance to one that robbed her of all she had contributed not only to the NDC, but Ghana.
Very few women, have had the privilege to rise to the level Konadu, after serving for close to 19 years as the second most powerful person in the country, any ambition left in her should have been to groom the next generation of women leaders.
But typical of her type, outside of corridors of power, they struggle like fish out of water. Konadu, had her day and it is going to be longest time anyone first lady, will have, but she still taste for power.
Nana Konadu, who had labored to build a party, was in a hurry to tear it down. She was like that farmer, who planted Cocoa seedlings. When the cocoa beans were ready and due, he harvested it, instead of leaving the trees to bear fruits in the next crop season, he decided to cut down the trees and burn them to make charcoal.
The NDC party, was built on the toil and sweat of Nana Konadu and her husband. She might not be the founder of the party, as that title only fits one person; her husband, but the story of the NDC cannot be told without mentioning her.
She was not your ordinary first lady, who believed in working from the back, she couldn’t be resigned to the kitchen as former president of Nigeria, Muhammed Buhari, described his wife. Nana Konadu, leads from the front and will go where even men dread to go.
Her 31st December Women’s Movement, was one of the most vibrant and recognizable women group in the country. She gave women voice and many were encouraged by her resilience to join politics.
Today, the participation of many women in Ghanaian politics, can be attributed partly to the leading role Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings played.
Many people, in her position usually fail to know when they have overstayed their welcome. When the applause is up is when you leave the stage, unfortunately they are tenaciously possessive and defensive of their presumed prerogative to micromanage things.
Nana Konadu feels fated to rule Ghana, she is of the opinion that, it is her lot to have a final say on the affairs of the NDC and the nation.
In life, one must learn to know when to leave the stage. It is usually when the applause is up.
The greatest of her blunders is when she thought, she could beat a sitting president to lead the NDC. I thought she was a student of politics, and as such should know that, that decision was ill-fated to fail.
Had Nana Konadu, shelved her ambition, today, she will become the voice of reason and the elder she is, for the NDC to run to for advice. Not only has she lost the battle among Ghanaians, but the party she and her husband formed.
Am sure my readers, will agree with me that, Nana Konadu has turned into a relic.
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