Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings and the late former President Rawlings.
The late former President Jerry John Rawlings was Wednesday buried at the Military Cemetery in Accra. Reading a tribute on her behalf by her daughter, Princess Amina Rawlings, at the burial service, widow of the late former President, Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings, disclosed that her relationship with the late former Head of State influenced her experience and knowledge necessary to deal with the potential difficulties or dangers of life in an urban environment.
“I was innocent and you were streetwise. There was so much I did not know and understand about the real-life outside the wings and home of Mr and Mrs J.O.T. Agyeman since I had lived a very protected life under their roof.”
“I had to learn to understand how to be streetwise,” she said.
According to the former First Lady, when she met Mr Rawlings, she was green and there was a lot she had to learn about real life, considering the fact that she had overprotective parents.
Free and easy spirit
Nana Konadu added that she and her husband “started on a journey that was free and easy in spirit” saying she had to adjust herself to his kind of lifestyle which conflicted with how she was raised.
She stated that unable to fully adapt to the “streetwise” lifestyle, she decided to remain true to the values her parents inculcated in her.
“…move along with the flow of your friends and acquaintances, but it still did not sit well with me. It went against all the upbringing I had intensely received under the roof of my parents.”
“After several trials, I decided a leopard never changes its spots. I was who I was based on family values. I decided, I could not change for the sake of love. You finally understood me. To take me as I am. I was who I was and there was nothing I could do about it,” she said.
“You sometimes called me snooty. I refused to accept that. I said it was based on my values,” she added.
