Konadu Fires Mosquito

Former Fist lady, Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings has stated categorically that her husband, Flight Lieutenant Jerry John Rawlings, made Johnson Asiedu Nketia, aka General Mosquito, who he is today.

According to her, ex-President Rawlings single-handedly helped the one-time Deputy Agriculture Minister to become the General Secretary of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC).

Nana Konadu contended that had former President Rawlings not taken General Mosquito on a national tour asking delegates to elect him as general secretary, there was no way he could have won the bid.

The President of the 31st December Women’s Movement intimated that General Mosquito was virtually an unknown person in the party when he was seeking the general secretary position.

Speaking to Boss FM in Kumasi on Tuesday, the former first lady accused General Mosquito of destroying the NDC party.

She explained that the incessant castigation of ex-President Rawlings and other founding fathers of the NDC by General Mosquito was gradually but surely destroying the ruling party.

“Aseidu Nketia should know as common knowledge that once you attack the foundation of anything including political parties, then you’re destroying it”, the ex-first lady stressed.

Nana Konadu repudiated assertions by General Mosquito, Dr. Kwabena Adjei, the party’s National Chairman, and others that they worked to bring the party to power.

She indicated that it was through the hard work of herself and her 31st DWM, her husband, and the party members that made it possible for the party to recapture power.

“Can they genuinely compare the work we did to that of theirs”, the former first lady, who is vying for a national vice chairmanship slot of the party, exploded.

According to her, had it been the effort of General Mosquito and other executives alone, the NDC would still have been languishing in opposition.

Nana Konadu admitted that indeed her husband has a faction in the party and indicated that it is not strange for a founder to have a faction in a party he has founded.

“My husband has always had a faction in the party and he always works hard to ensure that his faction always wins”, the longest serving first lady of Ghana emphasized.

She disclosed that her husband fought fiercely for General Mosquito and President Mills to become general secretary and presidential candidates respectively because they were in his good books.

“Because President Mills was in my husband’s good books, he ensured that he represented our party three times as presidential candidates even though some people fought against”, the former first lady revealed.

She condemned the practice where candidates contesting positions in the NDC launch their campaign, saying that the practice is alien to the ruling party.

Against this background, Nana Konadu pointed out that she would not waste time and resources to launch a campaign, but said victory was surely hers for the taking.

She indicated that though she has visited six out of the ten regions so far, she has sent information about her bid to delegates and party members across the country.

On why she desires to become an executive member of the ruling party, the ex-first lady said she wants to entrench the ideology of the party so that it does not lose focus, as is currently happening.

Nana Konadu emphasized that the present executives are not well acquainted with the party’s philosophy, hence the abandonment of the party’s foot soldiers.