Nana Konadu Rawlings Must Run As An Independent Candidate In 2012.

With all her former close allies and hangers on crawling on their bellies to Mills' camp, the former First Lady and an icon of the NDC should stand firm on her convictions and run as independent candidate in the 2012 general elections in the event she loses the primaries to Mills in the July congress at Sunyani.

This Yaa Asantewaa of Ghana politics must soldier on in spite of the odds and prove to her now detractors and former colleagues that politics is not about the stomach but about principles and convictions. Only yesterday, close confidants like Sherry Ayite, E. T. Mensah, Fifi Kwetey, Betty Mould Iddrissu and many more were all lying postrate begging for positions in her 31st December Women's Movement and her husband's government and now that she is not in a position to dish out such hand out, they have deserted her in droves to Mills who has heavily buttered their bread. Such betrayal must not deter her of pursuing her dreams and aspirations, principles and convictions if she really believes that Mills has provided a weak leadership and that corruption have become chronic in his government and that there is much despair and hopelessness in Ghana more than ever before. Being a pioneer and a trail blazer in what is exclusively a man's world, she must develop a thick skin to absorb the mudsling that is coming her way from her own Party.

To these stomach politicians, Nana Konadu will be a traitor if she decides to run as an independent candidate in the general elections in 2012. But in reality, she will be helping to deepen democracy in Ghana. This is where FONKA, Friends of Nana Konadu Agyeman must come in to give her a morale booster to push her to the highest height of her aspirations. I am therefore appealing to guys like Dela Coffie, Amenga Secut and others at the vanguard of FONKA to stand with Nana Konadu at this crucial moment of her political life. I call on my brother Cornelius Akwumey a.k.a Corney and my good friend Fela O Fela to support Nana Konadu to pursue such a noble cause. If ever there was a time the Rawlingses have needed your support, this is the time. Your support for this couple has been unflinching and unalloyed. All of you must remember she will be blazing the trail for our daughters and give hope to those girls who may wrongly presume women cannot become president in Ghana if she decides to go independence. This is a noble cause worth embracing by the followers of the NDC Party who also believe in the core values and principles of the Party and have faith in the Founder of the Party.

This is not about vote-splitting but about principles and convictions period. The vast majority of the foot soldiers who have been left out of the 2008 electoral booty must rally to Konadu's cause. They have been the mainstay of the NDC Party but once victory was achieved, they were dumped only for those who had deserted the Party when it was in opposition, to claim the lion's share of the booty. These selfless foot soldiers who gave everything to the Party are now only foot notes of the 2008 battle for the Castle whiles those who sat on the fence are now building mansions and amassing an unimaginable wealth. If they ever loved Nana Konadu, this is the time to rise up and be counted. Why should the hard core NDC foot soldiers fight to win the Castle only for the CPP elements to claim the sweetest portion of the victory pie? Is the Party an amalgamation of NDC and CPP or is it purely an NDC Party? This is the question the mass followers of the NDC must answer.

If the answer is the Party is purely NDC, the foot soldiers must then take back their Party by giving everything they have by supporting Nana Konadu to go independence. Do not let anybody convince you that by giving your support to such an icon of the Party going independence, you are splitting the votes in the general elections of 2012 and that will amount to betrayal of the Party. Do not listen to such nonsense because those “greedy bastards” do not care about you. They only think of their stomachs and their family. They only see you in relation to what is called monkey dey work baboon dey chop syndrome.

Obaa Panin, independence is the only way forward to you and your teeming supporters who look up to you for a real change. You have never failed them so you can't fail them now. Your name will be etched in Ghana's political history if you give Mills and Nana Addo a run for their money. The Nkrumahist Parties are too disorganized to give us a viable third Party. This is where Nana Konadu can make a huge political contribution by providing a viable option to the Ghanaian electorate. Nana Konadu, it is not selfish to go independence because it will be your contribution to the deepening of our democracy. Your detractors will definitely not see you in such a positive light but posterity will judge you in a brighter light. This will be unprecedented. This will be historic. Adwoa Konadu Agyeman Rawlings, this is the fate destiny has entrusted to you. Independence, you must go.

Alex Amoako-Attah

New York.