I have no doubt in my mind that, she’s the daughter of the late Jerry John Rawlings. Without even the benefit of DNA, the resemblance is there for all of us to see. Listening to the sad story of this lady, and her determination in the face of the daunting task of standing up to the “Iron Lady”, to assert her paternity, struck several cords in my soul. I am even the saddest, hearing some members of the public, being nasty towards this poor woman in this situation she finds herself.
- Her mum, according to her, was impregnated by Rawlings, while she was in Middle school form 2, living in Osu. She was adopted at 6 months and taken to Adabraka. Until 19 years old, she was made to believe that her adoptive parents, were indeed her biological parents. She didn’t even know that the lady who comes to work for her adoptive mother, was indeed her biological mother and that lasted 19 good years. Obviously, she looked different from everybody in the home, so the usual Ghana gossip and occasional jabs about her parentage was thrown at her all the time. I’m pretty sure that, due to the secrecy of her origins, she was confused as most children at her age would.
- At 19 years, she was mature enough to interpret the nuanced conversations about her parentage, so knew that her adoptive mother was not her biological mother. She got to know her real mother at 19 years. Nothing about her dad was known. She pressed her mum for the truth about who her dad was, for years to no avail, until 2003, when she got got the answer from her mum. The heavily guarded secret, was told. Her mum narrated everything about her and Rawlings and how he asked her to keep the pregnancy and the baby a secret at the time, fearing that his family may have pulled him out of school, if they knew.
- Armed with the knowledge of who her dad is, from 2003, this poor woman, went every length to meet her dad and family;
i) she fell on Anlo chiefs close to JJ
ii) went to the family in Dzelukope several times
iii) Published her existence in Daily Graphic in December 23, 2003, stating that she was the unclaimed child of Rawlings.
iv) Wrote several letters to Rawlings himself
v) Went to CHRAJ for help
vi) contacted persons close to the Rawlings family
vii) Wrote several letters with her contacts and photos to Rawlings’ mother, now demised and got no replies
viii) wrote to Hon Ezanetor Agyeman Rawlings but got no reply
ix) Had Rawlings send her GHS5000.00 at some stage
x) Was determined to undergo DNA with Rawlings himself, to confirm her paternity before his unfortunate demise
I must state that, it must take the most callous at heart, to say a single bad word to this poor woman, whose biological father, ruled Ghana for nearly 20 years, while she was struggling in life as a school dropout and being insulted as a bastard. Not even Satan himself, would be that heartless. She can never be a gold digger. She needs closure and a sense of belonging, which she’s never had all her life. Put yourself in her shoes for just a day. The agony of not knowing who your dad is, then getting to know that your dad is the most famous Ghanaian in our time but have to watch him and your other siblings from a distance. That would have snuffed the life out of many of you. You would have gone into depression and may have committed suicide.
She has mentioned a dozen reputable witnesses who can testify that she has been fighting this paternity battle with Papa J since 2003. She didn’t just pop up, as it may seem to the uninitiated. As the man himself is gone, she has nothing more to lose, coming out publicly. The man whose image she was protecting, is gone.
Now, she’s been going to the Agbotui family in Dzelukope since 2003, eighteen good years now. How come the family never took steps to solve this matter? There must be some major hindrance; the Iron Lady.
Since 2003, why did Rawlings himself not empathise with his own blood by giving her the closure and identity she so craves? Rawlings certainly knew about her. He knew about that pregnancy in 1968, with that school girl, the watchman’s daughter. Why did he not look for her?
I could go on forever. However, if Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings and her children, would want the memory of Papa to be best preserved, they must do the needful. Ezanetor should assist this poor woman and all the other “secret” Rawlings children, to get the identity their father so deprived them while alive. A simple DNA is a good starting point.
Growing up partly in Burma Camp, Airforce (Block 36, room 10) during the PNDC days, living with servicemen who guarded the Rawlings family, we eavesdropped conversations, which make some of us believe that the widow (Iron Lady), is not going to allow these children anywhere close to her children or even the estate of their father.
The battle has just begun…..
NB:
My mom divorced my dad, left in Sunyani and returned to her parents in the Volta Region, only to realise after months that, she was pregnant with me. The early years of my growing up was very traumatic for me, not having a father figure or any contact with my dad until upper primary school. Looking back, I can feel the pain this lady is feeling. In my case, I knew my dad and looked very much like him. I came to live with my dad when I was 12 years old. Even today, I’m pained by those early years I didn’t get to spend with him.
Written by George Alonzo Kwaku Yeboah
