KONADU DROPS BOMB IN NDC… Claims right over party symbol

Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings

By Daniel Nonor

There appears to be no end in sight to the gaping rift and wrangling in the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC). Yesterday, Counsel for Nana Konadu Agyeman told an Accra radio station that the former First Lady had written to the party threatening to withdraw the party's logo registered with the Electoral Commission.

In a letter to the National Chairman of the NDC, Dr. Kwabena Adjei, on behalf of Nana Konadu by the solicitors of the former First Lady stated:  'As you may be aware, our client holds the copyright to the political party logo being used by the NDC party as its registered political party symbol and known as the 'Akatamanso' (umbrella).

'Our client's intellectual property rights in the said symbol were duly registered on the 12 th of April 2010 under the Copyright Act (2005), Act 690.'

According to the letter dated 7th May 2012, Nana Konadu gave her unhindered permission to the party to use the logo. She also reminded the party at its Sunyani Congress of “her exclusive intellectual property interests and particularly warned the party against the infringement of her exclusive moral rights in the logo stipulated under sections 6(a) and (b) of the Act.”

The letter, however, said those rights Nana Konadu mentioned 'are still being infringed upon by both party leadership both in their public utterances and deeds and thereby denigrating the symbolic value of the logo. Our client believes that those values were embodied in the vision of the founder of the party and subsequently enshrined in the constitution of the party.

'Our client further instructs that the said denigration of the logo has manifested in disrespect for the founder, the disunity of the party, the neglect of its egalitarian values, lack of accountability by key party leaders to the membership of the party and consequently in the disaffection of the rank and file.

'Our client therefore demands the immediate end to the continuous infringement and denigration of her exclusive intellectual property rights in the logo. That unless steps are taken by the party to that effect, our client will feel compelled to withdraw her permission for the use of the logo by the party,' it read in part.

As the Konadu intellectual property was doing rounds on the airwave s, news broke out that in spite of a court directive instructing the suspended Deputy General Secretary of the party, Mr. Kofi Adams, to settle his differences with the party out of court, the Special Aide to former President Jerry John Rawlings has vowed to go the long haul at the law court to see to the full prosecution of the issues leading to his suspension from the party.

Mr. Justice Richard Asiedu, sitting at an Accra High Fast Track Court, refused to hear a motion by counsel for Mr. Adams for a summary judgment in his favour, because the NDC failed to enter appearance in his suit against the party.

But, Mr. Justice Asiedu directed the two parties to settle their differences out of court.

Not satisfied with the directive, Mr. Adams told an Accra-based radio station that he had directed his lawyers to appeal the decision of the court, and indicated further that a decision to either leave or continue with the NDC will be taken after the case had travelled its full length at the court.

Kofi Adams was suspended from the party over allegations that he was plotting with the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) to run the NDC down in the upcoming elections.

His suspension was based on a leaked telephone conversation he was alleged to have had with the Executive Director of the Danquah Institute, Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko, after the NDC Sunyani congress held last year.

The General Secretary of the NDC, Johnson Aseidu Nketia, subsequently declared Mr. Adams a 'free agent' until the disciplinary committee submits its report on the case. Mr. Adams proceeded to the law court to contest his suspension.

Mr Adam's suspension from the party seemed to be the last straw to break the camel's back after series of altercations involving the party and its founder, Flt. Lt. Jerry John Rawlings, for whom Mr. Adams works.

An obviously infuriated Mr. Rawlings launched a blistering attack on the party and government over the decision.

According to Mr. Rawlings, the suspension of his aide was to serve the parochial and unpatriotic interest of some party officials.

A strongly worded statement issued by the former President, and directed at President Mills, was apt:

'When you find yourself in an unintended pit or hole, the wise thing to do is to stop digging… It does not appear the Mills government is able to see the growing darkness around them.'

According to Mr. Rawlings: 'They have lost so much moral high ground, and now one of the most truthful, forceful, logically-minded personalities of integrity in the party leadership is being treated like an outcast to serve a parochial and unpatriotic interests. Do we need any other evidence to demonstrate that the Mills government has no intention of profiting from the truth?' he queried.

With Mr. Adams ready to fight to the hilt, and his boss obviously waiting for the outcome of the process, political watchers are closely observing how the NDC party intends mending the already shaky relationship between the President and the Rawlingses.

Meanwhile, party officials and Castle operatives are bracing themselves for what the founder of the party would say on June 4, which marks the 33 rd Anniversary of the uprising by the junior ranks of the Armed Forces that toppled the regime of ex-President Hilla Limann in 1979.