Member of Parliament for Gushegu, Alhassan Tampuli Sulemana, has called on President John Dramani Mahama to consider renaming the Ridge Hospital after the late Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings in honour of her lifelong service to Ghana.
Speaking on Saturday, October 25, Mr. Tampuli said the gesture would be a fitting tribute to the late First Lady, whose home stood close to the hospital. “I think that the best tribute the Ghanaian people can give—and I want to call on the President to consider—is to rename Ridge Hospital after Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings, which is just next to her,” he said. “It will serve as a living testimony of the hard work and commitment she gave to the sustenance of our democracy, especially the Fourth Republic.”
He described Nana Konadu as “arguably the mother of the Fourth Republic,” noting that her influence transcended her role as First Lady. “Having been the First Lady immediately prior to the introduction of the Fourth Republican Constitution and also serving continuously thereafter, I think she’s the First Lady among First Ladies as far as the Fourth Republic is concerned,” he added.
Mr. Tampuli paid tribute to her resilience, recounting the difficult periods she endured during the political turbulence of the late 1970s and early 1980s. “She was a symbol of modesty and of the enduring fighting spirit of a woman who had seen fire—as far as May 15 was concerned—when her husband was incarcerated, tried, and faced possible execution until he was freed by his colleagues and the June 4 uprising succeeded,” he said.
Reflecting on her strength during the multiple coup attempts in 1981, he emphasized that Nana Konadu “virtually carried the responsibility of caring for the family” and that her perseverance helped shape the political tradition that became the NDC.
He extended his condolences to the Rawlings family and the Asantehene Otumfuo’s family, noting, “This is a loss for our country, and I extend my condolences to all of us.”
