Former First Lady, Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings has spoken for the first time on her husband’s rejection of a Christmas hamper from the government. She fired verbal salvos at the sitting President in protest against the way and manner former President Rawlings is being treated by the current government.
Speaking on a Kumasi radio station, Otec FM, Nana Konadu who is also the President of the 31st December Women’s Movement blamed President Kufuor for what happened saying ''Kufuor knows all along that he has to provide for the upkeep of the former First Family but he has chosen to gloss over them'', and wondered how a day’s gift could make up for all the over-looked rights and privileges due the former First Family.
This response came after Nana Poku Agyeman, the interviewer had tried to solicit her comments regarding the rationale for the rejection of the Christmas hampers.
Initially, the former First Lady declined to comment and asked the Nana Poku Agyeman to book an appointment officially with her to discuss the matter. After she was persuaded to back down on her insistence on an official appointment, she shot back that she was unable to conceal her anger at the behaviour of President J. A. Kufuor because she has a feeling that the President has no respect for her husband.
The former First Lady then asked her host (Nana Poku Agyeman), if he would accept a gift at the end of the year from someone he stays with in the same house, who maltreats him all the year round?
But in an interview with Peace FM, Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings expressed surprise at the broadcast of the interview. According to her, she told the interviewer, Nana Poku Agyeman that she does not want to go public on the issue. She therefore spoke ''off the record'' only to hear the interview on air and subsequent publication in newspapers. ''Infact I am very disappointed that he put the story on air.''
Nana Poku Agyeman however denied Nana Konadu’s assertion. He explained that Nana Konadu was not willing to talk when he called her the first time but asked him to call later, during which she granted the interview. But Nana Konadu sharply refuted the allegation and described the interviewer as ''a very dishonest person''.
