Herbert Mensah- Mrs Rawlings would have preferred not contesting President Mills, but…back

As the ruling National Democratic Congress camp in Sunyani in the Brong Ahafo region, electing a flagbearer to lead the party into the 2012 general election, a close ally of former president Jerry John Rawlings says he wished president John Mills had not been contested, describing the present predicament of the NDC as unfortunate.

According to Mr Herbert Mensah, the fact that President John Mills is being contested two years into the NDC’s administration gives indication that all is not well with the party and government.
Indeed it is the reality of this that the former first lady, Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings is seeking the mandate of the NDC’s delegates to salvage the fortunes of the party at the 2012 general elections.

“My decision to contest also arose against the backdrop of growing division, apathy and despondency among our party faithful; under the current leadership, our party has been divided into factions that never existed before and, this, in effect, is killing the spirit of the NDC”, Mrs Rawlings once stated as being the reason for her decision to run.

Herbert Mensah who said he has lost touch with the principles of the President Mills’ led government however, revealed that he would have preferred that the NDC had not entered into this contest, blaming president John Mills solely for the visible division within the party.

“And for me I would have preferred that there was no challenge. And I think that everybody, Mrs Rawlings would have preferred that she was not in this position. President Mills I know certainly will prefer that there was a united strong party tackling the issues, showing the electorates that there is a difference between the past NPP and the NDC. And I think that is what they genuinely would have wanted. And I think the fact that we are in this challenge means that something has gone wrong. What I feel sad about is what does the future hold, because if there was real leadership in the country, we would not be having this contest”, Herbert Mensah intimated in an interview with Xfm’s Abena Asiedua Tenkorang.

He said more is needed to be a leader of the country, stressing, “holding a bible is not enough to be a president… we need greater dynamism to win an election”.

Many pundits have described July 8, the congress date as a make or break for the NDC, however, Herbert Mensah, said July 8 “is just a date in the calendar”.

Herbert Mensah also discounted assertions that the former first lady is not marketable enough as far as the presidency is concerned, stating that President Mills was not marketable either, but he is now the President. To him, what matters is a dynamic leader.

Story by Esther Brown/ Xfm 95.1/ Accra/ Ghana