Konadu Bores journalists with ‘empty’ speech

Former First Lady, Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings, yesterday failed to come definite on her next line of action, following her humiliating defeat to President John Evans Atta Mills, in the Sunyani National Delegates Congress of the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
At a crowded press conference, which was attended by Konadu herself, but addressed by her National Campaign Coordinator, Berrick Numbri, in Accra, Mrs. Rawlings could not tell her followers what she intends doing next, except to wish President Mills well in the 2012 General Election.
The statement said per what transpired before, during and after the election, her office stands vindicated regarding the allegations of electoral malpractices they levelled against the national executive prior to the election.
“…Threats of victimization and ostracism were real and present and were strongly reflected and culminated during the electoral process. We have received reports from well over 200 delegates who were not granted accreditation to enter the congress ground and thus not allowed to exercise their franchise to vote”, the statement said.
Despite these complaints, the former first lady called on the rank and file of the party to be “bold” and always demand justice at all times.
She said her decision to contest the flag-bearership position brought to the fore myriad challenges bedevilling the party, adding that that decision was informed by numerous calls by party supporters on the need to salvage the growing despondency in the party.
“We will as well thank the media in particular for bringing our concerns to the limelight at a time that the party executives were not ready to listen to us,” the statement noted.
On that score, Berrick Numbri expressed gratitude to ardent followers of the former first lady and promised that her office would continue to seek the interest of supporters of the party, and more importantly Ghanaians.
But, journalists who attended the event were much disappointed when they were not allowed to ask questions, as they wondered why they were invited to the event.
The obviously written words on the faces of the reporters were unhappiness and anger borne out of the failure of the Konadu team to allow them ask pressing questions.
Prior to the press conference, political watchers and media analysts had predicted that the Rawlingses were going to use the event to make a major move in Ghanaian politics, and possibly break away from the NDC.
That speculated move by the Rawlingses is yet to be made public as Honourable Tei-Nyanau said at the event that “this is only the ‘first phase”.