Atta-Kyea reveals how his ‘client’ Rawlings helped him win NPP primaries in 2015

Samuel Atta-Kyea, the Member of Parliament for Abuakwa South has in a tribute to late former President Jerry John Rawlings detailed how he became friends with the NDC founder.

In his tribute which was captured in the brochure, Atta-Kyea retold the story of how a call from Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings to represent Jerry John Rawlings in a civil case birthed their relationship.

He narrates, “so what brought together a known NPP Member of Parliament for Abuakwa South who is also a barrister with considerable legal practice and the founder of NDC and Ghana's longest-serving head of state Flt Lt JJ Rawlings (Rtd)?”

He continues, “Well, it was the unflagging wife of our departed former president, Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings, who had me to consider putting my legal expertise at the disposal of her husband regarding the launch of a book titled ‘JJ Rawlings and the Democratic Transition in Ghana’ authored by my own kinsman Prof. Kwaku Danso-Boafo”.

As per reports in 2014, Professor Danso-Boafo had been engaged by Rawlings to write his biography.

Having earned his trust, Rawlings disclosed certain important information to Professor Danso-Boafo in confidence.

This information was not meant to be in the book but Professor Danso-Boafo, according to the Rawlings’s own account, captured those utterances of his in the book.

After several unsuccessful attempts to have him remove and correct what Rawlings considered to misrepresentations, the services of Atta-Kyea was engaged to place an injunction on the book.

Atta-Kyea states that after two months of back and forth, some finality was brought to the case and Rawlings’s demands were granted.

Rawlings offered to pay Atta-Kyea for his service but he declined as he deemed it an honour to have represented the longest-serving leader in the country’s history.

Atta-Kyea states that his relationship with Rawlings developed from here but was sent a notch higher when Rawlings offered him great help in the NPP primaries in 2015.

“I was extremely touched by his humanity and generosity when in very gruelling primaries for the Abuakwa South Constituency in 2015, he sent an emissary to me with good money for the political undertaking and blessed me to win. Indeed, my victory was a landslide at Apapam as I triumphed over the other two contestants.”

He concluded by praying for him and asking God to take care of Rawlings’s wife and his children.