I was a famous palm wine tapper cum shoe shine boy before politics - Asiedu Nketia recalls

Chief Scribe of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr Johnson Asiedu Nketia has explained starting life was not as rosy as many think because he struggled for survival before attaining his current status in society.

The stalky and lanky NDC executives who is usually being mocked by many especially members of opposing political parties because of his stature, says he does not place premium on academic qualifications because most Ghanaians are of the view he has done little in that respect.

General Mosquito as affectionately called who is 62-year-old today, recounted how he engaged in all sort of odd jobs to make a living while growing up insisting he does not shy away from his past.

‘’I will not talk about my academic qualifications. Ghanaians say I don’t have any qualification and so let’s leave it at that. I have done so many things in life. I have been a palm wine tapper, a truck pusher, a shoe shine boy and an akpetsehie seller before. I did all these things to survive and I am not ashamed of that. As for academic qualification, it is secondary to me’’, he disclosed on an Accra-based radio station on Monday.

Background

Johnson Kwadwo Asiedu Nketia popularly known as General Mosquito (born December 24, 1956) is a Ghanaian politician and the current General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress party. He was Member of Parliament for the Wenchi West constituency for 12 years, from 1992 to 2000.

Lots of many non-serious and comic related speeches have been attributed to him as a General Secretary of the NDC.

Though his father, Kwaku Asiedu was a poor man his maternal uncles were very rich cocoa farmers. At a very tender age, young Kwadwo Nketia was adopted by his uncles to prepare him to inherit their cocoa farms instead of going to school.

When Ghana decided to change to constitutional rule, Asiedu Nketia was elected to the Consultative Assembly which drafted the 1992 constitution. His performance at the assembly earned him the accolade “Heavy Weight”.