It appears the Lordina Foundation was temporarily founded by Ghana’s First Lady, Lordina Mahama to ensure the re-election of President John Dramani Mahama in the December polls.
Minister of Tourism and Creative Arts, Elizabeth Agyare gave the hint when she accompanied the President’s wife on a trip to the Volta Region to donate some items to artisans and other skilled workers.
Sewing machines, hairdryers, scissors, sterilizers, shovels, hammers, among others, were distributed to tailors and dressmakers, carpenters, masons, hair dressers and barbers.
Goodies
Ms Agyare, in her address to the large crowd, most of whom were bussed from various parts of the region to Ho, the capital, said the donation of the items indicated Lordina Mahama’s sensitivity to the citizenry in the area.
She therefore urged the crowd, including chiefs and queen mothers from Ho and nearby communities to vote for President Mahama and the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) to ensure the donation of more items.
The Minister said, “She (Lordina) will continue to give these goodies to us. She will be able to do this next year if she remains the First Lady of the Republic of Ghana. The good news is yet to come. This is not the last.”
Her description of the equipment as ‘goodies’ and linking them to the re-election of President Mahama and the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) raised eyebrows, since the First Lady later disclosed that the purchase of the items was funded by the Chinese Embassy, Turkish Embassy and other partners.
Madam Agyare said “you don’t even need to be a member of the NDC, you can even decide today even as a member of the opposition, but still go ahead to vote for his Excellency the President of the Republic of Ghana so that we have this First Lady to continue to give us good things.”
Accountability And Transparency
Interestingly, none of the speakers at the event- the Volta Regional Minister, National Women’s Organiser of the NDC and the First Lady, Lordina Mahama-disclosed the quantity of items and the cost.
Attempts to get answers from the Communications Director of the Lordina Foundation, one Seidu Kpebu proved futile.
Mr Kpebu said “we don’t’ usually disclose the quantity and the cost of the items, but you can say the total quantity of all the items is over 100, close to 200. As for the cost I can’t tell.”
Volta Regional Minister, Helen Adjoa Ntoso, noted that the initiative of the Lordina Foundation was a boost to the national economy.
National Women’s Organiser of the NDC, Hajia Zinabu Mahama called on all, particularly women, to support the initiative of the First Lady by voting for the NDC.
TVET and the Economy
The First Lady, who expressed excitement, disclosed that the decision to donate such materials was taken when she attended a graduation ceremony of a vocational training school where she saw some wonderful products produced by the women of the school.
She said she was convinced that the donation would reduce the burden on government.
Mrs Lordina Mahama said dress making, carpentry and the other vocations fall under Small Scale Enterprises (SME) sector which was critical to the transformation of the country’s economy.
To this end, she urged persons in the sector to sharpen their skills and focus on quality service delivery.
Mrs Mahama also urged parents not to restrict their children, who are interested in Technical and Vocational Training (TVET), but encourage them to become employers in future.
The First Lady’s entourage, which included the Speaker of Parliament, Edward Doe Adjaho, later interacted with the women and traders at the Ho Central Market.
From Fred Duodu, Ho (freduoo@gmail.com)