Mrs. Rawlings? chronic propensity to peddle obvious untruths and distort realities was once more in evidence when she granted an hour plus interview to one of the Ghana?s leading private radio stations, Radio Gold last Tuesday, April 20, 2004.
Lamenting over what she claimed to be a deliberate policy by the NPP government to destroy the good works of the 31st December Women?s Movement (DWM) which she leads, the ubiquitous former Ghanaian First lady, indiscreetly cited United Nations Secretary General, Mr. Kofi Anna as her source of the evidence of the alleged deliberate government policy to destroy DWM?s productive works meant to empower Ghanaian women.
Hear what she claimed Kofi Anna told her: Nana, it is a shame that such a thing should take place. But let me tell you something. If you apply directly to the UNFPA, may be in another project they would do it directly with you and not pass it through your country. Because I am sorry but you have a group that does not want to work with you and that is it. Why would Kofi Annan want to say that if there was nothing behind it??
Two documents reflecting correspondence between Mrs. Rawlings and Fama Hane Ba (Director, Africa Division ? UNFPA) in May 2002 made available to us by our UNFPA sources clearly disprove the assertion made by Mrs. Rawlings in the Radio Gold interview with James Agyenim-Boateng.
The reply of UNFPA from New York dated May 17, 2002 to Mrs. Rawlings? letter of May 3, 2002 show that the latter?s ?perception? of deliberate governmental interference or policy of exclusion was unfounded as she had been made aware by the UNFPA of the reasons for the non-identification of her Movement (DWM) ?as a partner in the current (UNFPA) country programme?.
To set records straight, we produce the two letters under reference for the perusal of our readers and the general public.