Dear Hon. Zenator Rawlings,
In the year 2000, news broke in this God blessed, homeland of ours called Ghana, that a certain guy called Selassie O’Sullivan-Djentu, who was your former boyfriend was abducted and locked up a dungeon in the Osu Christianborg Castle, then the Seat of Government. He was tortured and his head was shaved with broken bottles. What did your boyfriend do? Anxious Ghanaians asked and we were told, he broke up with you and had to be punished for that.
Zanetor, the news spread all over Ghana and beyond like bush fire in a windstorm. Many were guys who started thinking whether it was worthwhile taking a girlfriend only to break-up and undergo such life-threatening treatment.
At that time Selassie’s mother was a nervous wreck as she combed all of Ghana looking for her son, only to find out that his new residence was in a former slave dungeon in the Osu Castle. Parents started cautioning their sons to be careful which girl they pick for lovers. Is it not interesting that at first it was always the girls who were warned and advised which guys to avoid, but after what Selassie went through, it was the guys who got that warning and advice.
Zanetor, I vividly remember, one evening during the Kufuor administration, your mother, former first lady, Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings was hosted by David Ampofo on his TV programme, and this issue about Selassie O’Sullivan-Djentu came out.
And I remember how your mother bitterly expressed her feelings about what Selassie did to you and justified the rough manner his head was shaved by the soldiers. She gladly termed it identification hair-cut. When asked whether what happened was justified, since it is all about a relationship turned sour, your dear old mum, looked angrily at David and said something like she as a mother, saw what you bitterly went through, with mental torture, after that break-up and she felt the pain, and someone was to pay for it, hence what happened, happened. In Ghana, today the phrase identification hair-cut refers to the result one gets after breaking up with a girl in high place.
Recently Selassie was on BBC and he came out to tell his side of the story which was not different from what your mother said. He even went deeper to come out with what he believed to be the truth.
Zanetor, you came out to defend your father in all this, no problem. But to say, the treatment meted out on Selassie had nothing to with the break-up of the relationship between you, both and rather, had to do with land issue, since you had long broking-up with him, does not add up.
Your mother confirmed that Selassie and you had broken-up and so whether the breaking-up was a week ago or years ago, does not really matter. He had to be punished for breaking up with you.
And most importantly, your mother proudly talked about the identification hair-cut given to your ex-lover, because of how bad you felt after he broke up with you.
They say, there is one side of the story and the other side and the truth is in the middle. In your case there are three sides of the story and two, from your mother and ex-lover, are saying the same thing, while the third side, coming from you is saying an entirely different thing.
As it is, I will advise that you confront your mother for coming on air to say the things she said in relation to Selassie’s identification hair-cut. That is only if, your mother came to lie to Ghanaians. ModernGhana recalled what your mother said. (Ref: https://www.modernghana.com/news/136287/nana-k-a-rawlings-explaines-issues-on-daughters-lover.html#google_vignette).
As an honourable, you must lift high your reputation and speak only the truth, as it is. If I were you and that question was posed to me and I know that was what truly happened, I will admit it and say how I regretted what took place, apologise to the Djentu family and to all Ghanaians and simply add that it is an event I do not want to talk about. Then I will decline any further follow-up questions. Your honour will be uplifted. But the way you skidded far off, statements that Selassie and your mother made, will make you lose the honour people have for you.
Zenator, you too know how you are more popular today, than your mother in Ghana politics. Take the last two election results. While in 2016 you secured 33,609 votes to win the Klottey-Korle seat, your mother who contested the presidential elections, secured a total vote of 16,935, nationwide and only 68 votes in your constituency. In 2020, while you made more gains, having 39,343 votes to retain the seat, your mother could only secure, 21 votes in Klottey-Korle and 6,549 votes nationwide. People love you more than they love your mother.
So do not go about making statements that will seem to justify wrongs done to Ghanaians in the past, by your family. Build yourself a new character and admit all wrongs and apologise where necessary. And Ghanaians will love you, more.
Please, come out again and tell the truth about why Selassie, your once upon a time, sweetie darling, was maltreated. Because what you are saying conflicts, what the victim and your mother are saying.
