"I Pity JJ�s Children"

THE NATIONAL Democratic Congress (NDC) Director of Communications in the Central region says he is deeply worried about the future of former President Rawlings� children in the ruling party. The NDC founder and Ghana�s longest serving president has four children who recently joined his wife Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings to officially launched her campaign to become the next flag bearer of the party in Accra. Speaking as a panelist on Peace Fm�s morning show, �Kokrokoo� hosted by Kwami Sefa Kayi on Wednesday, Allotey Jacobs said he was bothered about the prospects of the children because of the decision their mother had taken. He stressed that though they had a prosperous future in the ruling party due to their parents� position, the path their mother had taken has eroded any available gains. This according to him was because Nana Konadu�s decision to contest President Mills in the party�s forthcoming presidential primaries has weakened their popularity in the party. The NDC guru who is affectionately known as the �educated fisherman� said that decision has not only weakened their popularity in the party but has also reduced their superiority to nothing. Mr. Allotey claimed that a chunk of the party�s supporters have lost confidence in the Rawlingses over the matter and therefore do not hold the former first family in high esteem any longer. He emphasized that what will cause the children�s was the fact that their mother will be humiliated in the July 8-10 congress slated for Sunyani, the Brong Ahafo regional capital. The outspoken NDC stalwart and loyalist of President Mills noted that the defeat that the President of the 31st December Women�s Movement (DWM) will suffer in the upcoming exercise will be so embarrassing that her children will not feel comfortable to raise their heads high in the party. Mr. Allotey indicated that the defeat will even deter her children from availing themselves for positions in the NDC because they will get a feeling that their parents� factor does not count any longer. He therefore advised Nana Konadu to rescind her decision to first of all avoid the mortifying defeat that awaits her and also safeguard the future prospects of her children in the NDC. �I want Mrs. Rawlings to consider the fact that their children can even contest parliamentary elections on the ticket of the party and that if she carries on with her ambition, she will kill the political prospects of her children in the party she helped to found,� he stated. Meanwhile, Nana Konadu who picked up her nomination forms last Tuesday has officially launched her bid to battle President for the party�s flag bearer ship slot to contest the 2012 polls.