KONADU GOES TO COURT
-In October, over NDC logo

If ‘Ahobrasihene’ President John Dramani Mahama and the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) believe with the passing to glory of President Mills the hullabaloo over the party’s logo generated by its former vice-chairperson is over, then they may be leaving in Kukus land.

Impeccable information available to your most reliable Al-Hajj indicates that, Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings, wife of the NDC founder, Jerry John Rawlings intends dragging the party to court just two months before the crucial December polls.

Among reliefs to be sought by Nana Konadu, according to our usual dependable source close to the Rawlingses is that; the logo currently being used by the NDC is her duly registered intellectual property.

Nana Konadu, the source stated, would pray the court to place an indefinite injunction on the use of the logo by the NDC over what she refers to as ‘violation of her exclusive moral rights and spirit’ in the logo she created by the party.

The source hinted this paper that the former first lady’s imminent action is to confuse the electorate and exact unimaginable damage to the fortunes of the NDC in the December elections since the party will be unable to use its known and recognized symbol.

“I can tell you that Madam’s burning desire to make sure that the late president Atta Mills becomes a one term president is not limited to him alone. She just wants to confuse the voters by denying NDC the use of the logo”. The source disclosed.
Nana Konadu, in a letter written on her behalf by her lawyers to the NDC National Chairman, Dr. Kwabena Adjei on the 7th May 2012, stated, "as you may be aware, our client holds the copyright to the political party logo being used by the NDC party as its registered political party symbol and known as the 'akatamanso' (umbrella)…
“Our client's intellectual property rights in the said symbol were duly registered on the 12th of April, 2010 under the Copyright Act (2005), Act 690.”
Parts of the letter stated that, Nana Konadu gave her unhindered permission to the party to use the logo. She also reminded the party at its Sunyani Congress of "her exclusive intellectual property interests and particularly warned the party against the infringement of her exclusive moral rights in the logo stipulated under sections 6(a) and (b) of the Act." The lawyers stated.
The letter, however, said those rights Nana Konadu mentioned “are still being infringed upon by the party leadership, both in their public utterances and deeds and thereby denigrating the symbolic value of the logo. Our client believes that those values were embodied in the vision of the founder of the party and subsequently enshrined in the constitution of the party…
“Our client further instructs that the said denigration of the logo has manifested in disrespect for the founder, the disunity of the party, the neglect of its egalitarian values, lack of accountability by key party leaders to the membership of the party and consequently in the disaffection of the rank and file”. Konadu’s lawyers stated.
But the NDC in a sharp response, unequivocally and unambiguously refute her claim that she is the bonafide owner of the party’s logo.
After a thorough and lengthy appraisal of Konadu’s claim by a crack team of NDC lawyers, the party wrote back reminding the former first lady that the logo in question is the property of the party, which has been duly and legally registered with the Electoral Commission since 1992 as provided by the Political Parties Law and therefore cannot be the property of one person as she alleged.
For almost two months after the receipt of the response from the NDC, Nana Konadu has so far remained silent.
A source told The Al-Hajj that “madam will not mind them, she is keeping her cards close to her chest, with all options opened, including, but not limited to, heading to court at the last minute where it will hurt them (NDC) most.