Computer Scientist by first-trade and former NPP general secretary DAN BOTWE wears his epaulettes on his weighty shoulders to NPP WAR just as a true GENERAL would, while aspiring to the presidency of Party and Nation.

A relative youngster pitched against the bunch gunning for the Party's sole slot, GENERAL DAN KWEKU BOTWE fought in the trenches to stay the course and cause of the NPP way back, and today, looks to be a few metres away from the prize.

His early beginning when he had a disciplinarian catechist-cum-head teacher for a father, brought the lashes crashing at his bare back often and often, culminating in his imbibing lesson in true discipline.

Today, Mr. Botwe says he has carried the full weight of both WATER and ALCOHOL, in several thousands of tonnage, and does know how to turn a whole nation's lemons into lemonades which explains why he is staking a claim to the highest seat of the land.

The enemy does know exactly how to slant the straight line when it comes to other people, but in reference to Mr. Botwe, there appears to be an honest and tacit admission of his epitomizing discipline.

His trademark trait of habitually playing knick-knack on inefficiency's drum till everything else metamorphoses into efficiency and perfection, has been a source of inspiration cronies have always resolved to put in their pipe and smoke.

Way back in the days prior to settling in as Information Minister, he had been a favourite with the rank and file of the Party. It is said that to this day he calls almost to perfection, Party executives from far and wide by first names, showcasing a wonderful retentive memory.

In Mr. Botwe's presence no inferiority complex attacks the fibre of the visitor's being, for he lays the cards on the table just as any true person would, and speaks exactly what his mind plays up.

He lived his much more youthful days in the dungeons, during the heady days of J.J. Rawlings' so-called revolution where apart from free air and sunshine, everything else was a luxury.

EARLY CHILDHOOD

The sixth of eight children, Daniel Kweku Botwe was born to a catechist by name Papa Ebenezer Martin Darko, who also doubled as head teacher in a string of old Presbyterian Schools set up in colonial times by the Germans.

Mum who still remains alive and kicking, goes by the name Matilda Dansoa Darko and at 84, still lives to see adult Daniel actuate the presidency dream, God-willing.

The family hailed from Anum Boso and Abiriw, all in the Eastern region and when Dan-the-General grew up, he also continued with the tradition of littering the world with three children namely, Akua Dansoa Botwe, Kwadwo Darko Botwe and Daafoor Botwe.

He did so through a productive and fruitful lineage called Maud Daafoor Botwe, soon-to-be-First-Lady who read Estate Management at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, and graduated in 1984.

Dad, who was to have a dominating influence later on in the life of young Botwe tended three big cocoa farms; two were situated at Sankore in the Brong Ahafo region and the other in the Western region at Sefwi Akontombra, until he retired from active service in 1971.

As an infant, he remembers shouldering enormous responsibilities such as fetching water to fill the barrel morning and evening, and polishing dad's shoes the way an old disciplinarian desires. These were household chores he begins to attend to from 4:30am, when those of his folks would be snoring the dawn away.

Those were schedules for week-days for daddy ensured that the kids including Dan, spent the weekend working on the farm which really prepared them for life much later.

At weekends his day begun with the household chores and then morning service at 5 am. On the farm together with his other siblings they used to climb and harvest palm nut from its trees, quite an awful experience for growing kids indeed. "There were times we prepared the mounds for the planting of yams till our palms were decorated with blisters. Back then, we thought the training was much too difficult but upon hindsight, we realize dad was preparing us for the turbulence of life," Mr. Botwe opined.

Self-discipline soon became a trademark trait on account of dad's training, but when he made it obligatory for them to de-silt the local stream and gutters in addition to weeding the village path that led to the farm, a self-help characteristic descended from on-high and fused with his body, soul and spirit.

It is said that those that the Lord wants to make Presidents, he first prepares as laborers to go through the school of hard knocks to the mill, where they grind exceedingly fine in readiness for the battle of serving God and Country.

Little Dan enrolled at Maabang Primary and Middle Schools back in the day, but sat for the Common Entrance Examination at Tepa also in the Brong Ahafo region, from where he enlisted as a student at Kumasi Academy.

God blessed biblical Dan exceedingly, for he had a clever head over confident shoulders, and flew the colours by coming away from KNUST as Computer Scientist.

He did his service right at KNUST at the Building and Research Institute, and gained employment later on as a systems Analyst at Ghana Cocoa Board (Cocobod).

The hard life dad taught, coupled with life's own experiences came in handy several years later at the strong room in 1996 and 2000, when the NDC tried to play games at the Electoral Commission.

Officially the NPP man in the room, no amount of intimidation, heaped-up scorn, or muscle-flexing frightened the hell out of Mr. Botwe, for he refused to blink an eye for some two or so days, lest the unbelievable 1992 General Electoral results played up yet again in 2000.

Wide-eyed Dan policed the situation a little too much for NDC comfort and so in the end, the NPP won by exorcising the 28-year opposition ghost THE SUN