Kofi Adams, official spokesperson for former President Jerry John Rawlings, is a household name. Like his revolutionary master, many functionaries of the ruling National Democratic Congress, NDC, hold him in awe, showering him with the kind of respect you give an ultra-competent workaholic. To most Ghanaians, he is the archetypal voice of reason.
Yet, like 80 percent of Ghanaians, Adams comes from a modest stock. The last of seven children, he started life in rural Tetteyman, a village in the Jasikan District of the Volta Region. His parents were not wealthy; his family was not privileged; his extended connections were not royal. He is just the man next door. Well, sort of.
Like majority of Ghanaians, his early education was not in some posh establishment. Adams went to “a very rural secondary school now known as Okagyakrom Sec Tech. Through a journey he describes as “rough”, he found politics early in life. By the time he arrived at the University of Ghana in 1994, via the Bishop Herman Secondary School (where he was nicknamed ‘Gigantic’) to pursue a degree in Biological Science, he had already developed the temperament of a student- activist and a party thane.
The 1990s were the years of historical strikes. Tertiary education was disrupted beyond comprehension. But amid crisscrossing the country, ardent politicking, and some learning, Adams graduated and was quickly whisked, through National Service, into education – teaching Biology in secondary schools.
By 25, the man, who is currently gunning for the position of National Organiser of the NDC, summoned his childhood sweetheart and journeyed west to chart a course reminiscent of a biblical epic.
Despite bearing the brunt of expected machinations and party intrigues, Adam had managed to climb the ladder of progress steadily. Kicking off as a student organizer, he rose to become Branch Chairman, Deputy Youth Organizer, and currently Deputy General Secretary of the party.
At 40, the father of three juggles his waking moments among the roles of husband, Rawlings’ voice, and an aspiring National Organiser, and he hopes to clinch it this first attempt. He describes his life so far as “an interesting journey”.
On Monday, he fielded questions from Weekend Sun at his Ridge office where he diligently spoke about how he met Rawlings, what Ghanaians never knew about his boss, how he has managed to keep his composure under the crushing pressure of his office, and why he wants to become the next NDC Organising Secretary.
Excerpts:
How did you meet President Rawlings?
It was 2007. Fate actually brought us together. I think that particular day, he sent me a text and asked me to make time to see him. So, I responded ‘yes sir’. Before then, and because the First Lady, Nana Konadu, had been more present on the ground, moving around, fully engaged in the December 31 Women’s Movement meetings and party activities, we were able to meet a number of times. So, she knew me even more.
Anyway, at some point, I was invited by the former president, His Excellency Jerry Rawlings. Up till this point, I was always coming to do one assignment or another for him. But what brought us a little closer happened during the December 2005 Youth Conference, when Haruna Iddrisu was being challenged by Nii Lante Vanderpuje. We thought, as youth leaders across the country, that Haruna had done very well, bringing the youth agenda to the fore, and you cannot take that away from him. He didn’t have to be punished because of his perceived closeness to our then National Chairman, Dr. Asamoah. Because of that closeness, some wanted to shoot him down and bring in Nii Lante who had no party organization background up until that point. He was on radio as a commentator and we thought he knew nothing about party mobilization.
His Excellency [Rawlings], then, was in support of a change to bring Nii Lante in. Since some us were strong proponents of Haruna Iddrisu, lies were circulated about us to him. It was while dealing with these lies that were peddled about some of us that we became closer.
My story, whenever it is fully told, would be like the story of Joseph whose brothers wanted to kill, and they decided to sell him. It was the selling that led him to glory. The attempt to destroy me brought me closer to His Excellency, and that was where the journey started. Gradually, the truth unfolded about who really Kofi Adams was. And we carried on all the way into the 2008 general elections where I was involved in his team.
Up till now, he gives me such kind words and endorsements, the kind I have heard him give to P. V. [Obeng] and other strong personalities.
What exactly did he say he wanted you to do for him?
Seriously, President Rawlings believes in people being able to work and find their own level. It is more or less like the way you put toys in a playroom and allow kids to go and pick what they want, and through that, you observe and see. He allows people to play and gradually everybody sees where you are good at.
What was it like initially?
We had a very small staff. Before, Victor Smith was doing things more or less by himself and bringing people in to assist as and when it became necessary. Because I was a party executive and also the National Deputy Youth Organiser, I wasn’t going to be available to do most of the administrative work like Victor Smith. I thought that we needed more people to come and help so that I could still be out there to focus more on the political part.
A few other colleagues came in to help, and Mrs. Rawlings helped in identifying other people too. Dr. Ebenezer Siaw came in to assist. Joseph Otoo was there with Dr. Caesar and other senior persons like Dr. Kunbour. So, we went on, and I established myself well as his communicator.
What does your job as the former president’s spokesperson actually entail?
Our former president is the founder of the [National Democratic Congress] party and I believe I, being a party executive and working with him, was uniquely placed to do my work as his spokesman. I’m President Rawlings’ spokesman, but sometimes, there are matters that may affect his family, and I may have to take it upon myself to necessarily talk about it. Most of the time, I think that the other members of his family can really speak for themselves.
The job of a spokesperson is demanding. Before you go to bed, you have to read a lot of all that has happened; and if he has done some public appearance, whether you were there or not, you must have the information and every detail of what happened there.
If there are videos, you have to take time to watch and get prepared for the morning in anticipation of what reportage may come out of it. And where you think you have to prepare a statement, you prepare; where you think that granting one or two interviews will work, you do that. Sometimes, even when the reportage is positive, journalists still want you to grant more interviews and give further information in order for them to understand.
President Rawlings is famous for ruffling feathers with extempore comments. It must be terribly difficult going round the networks, undoing off-the-cuff slights.
Rawlings is a really hard working and energetic man, and you have to be same to be able to work with him. We went to Nigeria for a function and the speaker – a senator who once lived in Ghana – made a joke that, in those days, when former President Rawlings was reading his prepared text, everybody was at ease. But immediately he finished that and put the papers down and started to ad-lib, then, everybody became tense because you wouldn’t know who he was going to fire.
He is full of surprises. And that is him. There is always something he will like to keep to himself and surprise everybody with, but generally, because we interact a lot, you understand him even better. So, those of us who are privileged to get closer to him know. We know he is a man of conviction, a man who says what he believes in.
You say you know Mr. Rawlings: if you were to sum up his character, what would it be?
He is a man who believes that certain principles must not be abandoned, and that is why he will always tell you, people say blood is thicker than water, but he says, ‘no, principles are thicker than blood’. For him, you are his brother when you agree on the same principles, but then the very day you start deviating from those principles, you will lose that friendship. Principles and values are important and dear to him.
You have been up close and personal for some time. What would you say is the single misconception that people have of Mr. Rawlings?
I think people think that President Rawlings is a most difficult person, but when you tell them how free and approachable he is, and how he allows you to debate things with him, people get surprised. President Rawlings always believes that ‘let’s sit down and bring your views and let me also bring mine and let us debate them; don’t pass my back and let me look like I’m stupid’. I think that is why he is enjoying lots of support…because everybody thinks about him in a certain way, but when you get close to him, you will see a different thing.
People think like, ‘this man, you cannot go near him’, but the truth is that he will meet you at your level. He may not have seen you before, but the way he will receive you, you may think that you have been friends for many, many years.
Here, you have a former president of his stature who will be giving lifts to people he doesn’t even know. Sometimes he will be in his car, and he will see an elderly person or a lactating mother looking for a car by the roadside, and he feels that he can help, so he offers to help.
What has been the height of your journey with Mr. Rawlings?
My biggest high? That would be in 2009. That was the year I had the opportunity to be with him at CGI (Clinton Global Initiative) in New York, where I was able to see many world leaders at close quarters. We were interacting with all manner of people around the world, including President Barack Obama and the rest.
I even did some live interviews with some international networks . For me, that has been the highest point.
And your lowest point working for him?
Well, there have been times that you feel low – not because of something he did, but the way and manner some petty minds have related to you because you have been so loyal and committed to the founder of the NDC and the former president. It can, in a way, disturb you to the point that you may just feel that some people are after you because you wanted to serve someone who has done so well for the country.
But in all of these, I have learnt a lot, and I will recommend that the best way to learn from somebody is when the person is on retirement. In retirement, you get the best of him. Yes, you may not get practical experience from the office, but I have learnt from him more than even those who worked with him during his long rule. Now, we sit down and we are able to review lots of actions he took, with explanations about why he did this and that.
Has he confessed to you any regrets?
As a leader, you have to understand that whereas you are taking good decisions in good faith, the people you are taking the decision for may see things differently at the time you are doing what you are doing. Generally, having been a leader for a very long time, he may have taken one or two decisions that he may have wished had not happened.
How have you dealt with the pressures?
After university, I thought in Breman Asikuma, and then, went to Adisadel College. At Breman Asikuma, the school did not have a laboratory. At AdisadeI, I had to prepare the final year class for the exams. In both cases I had to make sure that my students passed well. I was so happy because I always love to do any task I’m given to the best of my capacity. That is why I say I hate postmortem. I hate failing and saying ‘this is why I failed’. I want to do anything I do so well that if I have to fail, it would not be because I failed to cover an area I was supposed to have covered. This is the philosophy that has guided me. And this is how I have avoided unnecessary pressure.
Having spent time with Mr. Rawlings, what are the four essential qualities that you think every good leader must possess?
I think every leader must empathize. He must also be a very good decision taker – whether it affects your friends positively or negatively. He must be fair and firm. He must understand the people he is dealing with so as to be able to know what weight to put on what each and everyone brings to him as a leader. You know, there are those who would come and tell you the truth, and there are those who would want to ‘sweeten’ things. You must appreciate all of them to know what value to place on what they say.
Does President John Mahama have these qualities?
I think John Mahama has done very well. The situation under which he became president has never happened in this country before. A president who takes over the mantle of a country at the point the party he is leading is perceived to have all kinds of challenges. The country itself was having challenges, and you do not have any time to prepare for elections. You want to bring changes but you must be careful before people start criticizing you. Even with the inclusion of the previous administration in his government, he is still being labelled and called all kinds of names.
You are contesting for the position of National Organiser, NDC.
Yes.
What is your relationship with the incumbent like?
Good. We are fine.
Why do you want his job then?
The only thing is that, I’m not satisfied with the work that he is doing. And I don’t believe that he will be able to take us far with the type of organizational skills that he has. He needs to energize the process and do something better.
Our party is naturally supported and loved by Ghanaians. This is because of some of the things that we do, and the way and manner the leadership has gone about doing some of the things. NDC is the party of choice, and it is supposed to be the party of choice, so that tomorrow when somebody reaches 18 and is choosing a party, he is not thinking of NDC as anything but as a party of choice. If care is not taken, however, we will become like the others. I don’t want a situation whereby people will think that we are the same as the others. This is why I want to be Organising Secretary so that I can ensure that all my experience is used to mobilize the people towards a solid win.
