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The Rawlingses are sinking low
right in front of our eyes
By Dr. Michael J.K. Bokor
Saturday, November 28, 2015
Folks, a lot is happening as far as the Rawlingses are
concerned. And that lot is worrisome to a large extent.
Those of us who have criticized the Rawlingses over the past
few years in terms of their politics of attrition also
considered how characters who had openly expressed their
hatred for them suddenly turned round to snuggle to them and
bask in the Rawlingses' limelight for public attention.
One of them was Herbert Mensah, a former CEO of Asante
Kotoko, a known anti-Rawlings embittered person and a pro-NPP
subject. He is the son of B.A. Mensah whose tobacco company
(International Tobacco, Ghana Limited) was confiscated by
the Rawlings administration in the heat of the June Four
"unprecedented revolutionary action" against supposed
economic vampires taking undue advantage of the weaknesses
of the system.
In fact, Herbert Mensah hated Rawlings to the core and
didn't hide that hatred as he joined the NPP's campaign of
vilification against the Rawlingses. That was when Kufuor
was in power and hopes filled him that his father's assets
would be deconfiscated and returned to him and his siblings.
It didn't happen and he took umbrage with Kufuor to part
companies with the NPP.
Herbert Mensah consequently turned round to establish
himself in the good books of the Rawlingses, becoming a
spokesman and defending everything about the Rawlingses.
Doing so opened the floodgates for him to have access to
Zanetor, the eldest daughter of the Rawlingses. We heard of
all that happened for the unmarried couple to have two
children.
We have all along thought that everything was smooth-sailing
for them until now. Herbert Mensah has blown the lid off
everything, going to court to fight what is an uphill task
for him (See
http://www.ghanaweb.com/
GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/Herbert-Mensah-sues-Zanetor-Rawlings-to-have-access-to-kids-396761).
How did it all happen? Why would
Zanetor fall for Herbert Mensah so easily and then turn
round to "appropriate" the two children to force him to go
this way?
In the heat of it all, Jerry Rawlings is now out, saying
that he wants to intervene to curtail the court action and
settle the dispute (See http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/JJ-mediates-child-custody-fight-396968).
Where has he been all this while without intervening to
resolve the conflict amicably before its being brought into
the public domain this way? I see a serious weakness here.
Folks, what else is left of the Rawlingses? Having been
divested of the stranglehold that they had on the NDC
(Rawlings' previously being acclaimed and unchallenged as
the founder and father of the NDC and his wife's being the a
National Vice Chairperson of the NDC before her own
unbridled political ambitions took her to dizzying heights
of skunky politics in the NDP), where are they moving
themselves and their children?
We are on record for predicting that the Rawlingses will be
the architects of their own doom, doing everything possible
to erode the very legacy that they should have built on by
accepting their Fate and letting others serve Ghana without
recourse to their domineering manouevres or string-pulling
tactics. Unfortunately, they have remained fixated on their
own wily ways of exerting power and influence---and are
losing it all.
This suit by Herbert Mensah has come as a huge surprise to
some of us but is not to be unexpected, especially
considering the opportunism that motivated the
reconciliation between such bitter camps. Herbert Mensah got
close to the Rawlingses for reasons best known to him; and
the Rawlingses fell for him, paving the way for him to plant
his seed in Zanetor.
What exactly is at stake won't redound to the Rawlingses'
image unless the matter is resolved amicably. The
overarching question is: How will Zanetor sail through, now
that she has won the primaries to contest the Korle Klottey
Parliamentary seat on the ticket of the NDC? A smear
campaign is in the offing. How will her children feature in
Herbert Mensah's plans, and what will be Nana Konadu's role
in securing peace? I don't know.
Although this problem may be considered as “usual” and none
of my business, it speaks volumes. It feeds into what is
already in place to denigrate the Rawlingses all the more.
Having eroded their own political base, are they now moving
on to damage their moral integrity with this Herbert Mensah
problem? More importantly, what exactly caused the enmity
between them and Mensah? More questions than answers,
folks!!
The truth, though, is that this "marriage of inconvenience"
between Herbert Mensah and Zanetor has a lot to worry about.
First, why would the Rawlingses encourage the cohabitation
of Mensah and Zanetor without ensuring that the proper thing
would be done for that relationship to be taken through the
proper channels for consummation? In other words, why won't
there be any wedding to consolidate the relationship?
We saw pictures of Zanetor when she attended church to thank
God for answering her prayer to win the NDC primaries. Jerry
Rawlings is said to be Catholic; so also, I believe, is
Zanetor. If so, why would she go out of her way to produce
children with Mensah without any matrimonial bond between
both? Is that what Catholicism accepts?
For such high-ranking personalities (at least, if we are to
see the Rawlings in that light), nothing could be more
satisfying than doing what will bring honour to the family.
What we see unfolding is a huge dishonour to deride. Why
would Jerry Rawlings and Nana Konadu, the so-called apostles
of probity and accountability, allow this kind of shame to
be brought on them?
Of course, having children out-of-wedlock by and of itself
is not shameful; but what Herbert Mensah has begun doing
will definitely heap shame on the Rawlingses. Probably, that
is why Jerry Rawlings is stepping in to douse the fire.
Unfortunately, though, the cat is already out of the bag and
won't want to be tucked back in there.
Folks, the Rawlingses have a lot to do now to redeem
themselves before other events dim their light. How they do
so is their own cup of tea. As observers, we will do our job
to keep our eagle's eye watch on them and say what has to be
said. No holds barred!!
And don’t tell me it is their private matter not to be
commented on. Once they remain public figures, anything
involving them is of public interest. After all, they should
be the first to protect their privacy from being intruded
upon. If they fail to do so, as it is in this case, they
should expect us to take them on. After all, Selassie Djentu
was humiliated because of his daring move to enter the
Rawlingses’ enclave. What did the Rawlingses find wrong with
Djentu that they didn’t see in Herbert Mensah? Oyiwa!!
I shall return…
• E-mail: mjbokor@yahoo.com
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to continue the conversation.
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