Former President Jerry John Rawlings says the political future of his first daughter, Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings, looks good. However, it is the choices she makes that will determine the kind of influence she will have on politics in Ghana, he says.
The first president of the Fourth Republic made these assertions on Asaase Radio when he joined Kwaku Sakyi-Addo, host of the personality talk show Sunday Night, as his guest.
“She has a good future in politics because she is very dedicated, a highly disciplined, brilliant person. She is sharp and I think the country needs people like that actually and I am not sorry that even though she went into the medical profession, she has gone into politics to help prevent the situations that put people in the hospital,” the former president said.
Choosing a political party
In answer to a question posed by the host, Kwaku Sakyi-Addo, about whether or not Zanetor is in the right party (the National Democratic Congress) when her own mother, Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings, has a party, the National Democratic Party (NDP), Rawlings said the choice is entirely his daughter’s decision to make.
“That will be her decision, to join NDC or any other party. She will have to live with it, she will have to take responsibility for it,” Rawlings said.
Profile
Dr Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings (aged 42) is the eldest daughter of the former president Jerry Rawlings and former first lady Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings. She attended the North Ridge Lyceum School and Achimota School for her basic education. She then graduated from Wesley Girls’ High School in Cape Coast in 1996.
With her father involved in national politics, Zanetor spent most of her time as a child with her mother. She studied at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland for her medical degree. She also has certificates in defence management and conflict and crisis management from the Ghana Armed Forces Command and Staff College.
Political journey
On 11 September 2015, Dr Agyeman-Rawlings filed an application to stand in the Korle Klottey primaries to win the NDC nomination to become Member of Parliament for this constituencey in Greater Accra. She ran against the incumbent MP for Korle Klottey, Nii Armah Ashittey, and Leeford Kpakpo Quarshie.
At the time of filing her application papers, she maintained she had no prior political ambitions and her contest was based on popular calls for political involvement, born out of her cleaning campaign and other environmental activism. She won the race for the NDC ticket on 10 November 2015 and went ahead to win the seat in the 7 December 2016 elections.
Wilberforce Asare
The repeat broadcast of part two of the “Sunday Night” Rawlings special will be aired on Tuesday 14 July (7pm). Catch it on Asaase Radio (99.5FM).
* Asaase Radio 99.5 – now live on your radio. Tune in or log on to broadcasts online.
#asaaseradio
#TVOL
