Former UN Governance Advisor, Baffuor Agyemang-Duah, has described the late former First Lady, Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings, as the most politically engaged First Lady in Ghana’s history since the era of Dr. Kwame Nkrumah.
Read also: Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings passes on
According to him, Nana Konadu’s active involvement in national politics set her apart from her predecessors and successors, as she consistently participated in key political events throughout her life.
“If I look back from Nkrumah’s era, I cannot identify any First Lady who was so politically engaged as Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings.”
“Subsequently, all the military regimes that we have, the wives of the military rulers, from this fourth republic, from Rawlings, I think in the republic, Nana Konadu continued in different ways to push for advocacy for women empowerment and since then, I cannot identify any other First Lady who has been so engaged and so passionate about the issue of women and supportive,” he added.
He made these remarks on JoyNews’ The Pulse on Thursday, following the announcement of her passing.
Mr Agyemang-Duah noted that while most male presidents often limit their wives’ involvement in politics, Nana Konadu stood out as an exception, carving a unique space for herself in Ghana’s political landscape.
“Normally, first ladies are a bit timid for all kinds of reasons, maybe some husbands dont want their wives to be at the forefront of politics,” he said. “I can say that she was one person who was all over the place, pushing her ideas, pushing her women advocacy, supporting her husband and I think overall, that for me is very interesting.”
The former First Lady passed away at the age of 76. The Government has since confirmed her demise and shared condolences with the bereaved family.