Who Is The Next First Lady?

Behind every successful man, they say, is a woman and as Ghanaians get ready for the polls this Friday to elect a president, it is important to take a peep into the life of which lady is likely to become the next First Lady of Ghana. Though the country has a multi-party system, electoral victory at the presidential level has always alternated between the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the outcome of Friday�s polls is expected to be no different and the next president would obviously be either the NPP candidate Nana Akufo Addo or the NDC candidate, President John Mahama Nana Addo is married to Rebecca, affectionately called Becky, and President Mahama is married to Lordina. NEWS-ONE takes a glimpse into the lives of the two women. Lordina Mahama Though Lordina Mahama is the current First Lady of Ghana, she is actually a �caretaker First Lady� as her husband, then Vice President John Mahama, was sworn in as president just last July after the demise of the then President John Evans Atta Mills. On December 7, Ghanaians will get the opportunity to decide whether Lordina will become the substantive First Lady because her husband has won the presidential polls or whether they would want to retire her from her current status. She has been very supportive of her husband�s quest to be president and spends sleepless nights, week after week, on campaign tours throughout the country canvassing for votes. Indeed, she liaises with several campaign groups including the John Mahama Campaign 2012 and Lordina Mahama Fun Club, Youth For Mahama (YFM) among others to galvanize support for her husband. Lordina also has a charity organization, Alternative Source of Income Programme (ASOIP), a non-governmental organization (NGO) committed to helping underprivileged children and women in the under developed areas of Ghana. The primary objective of Alternative Source of Income Programme is to cater for destitute and vulnerable children and women (especially young women) so as to bridge the gap between the fortunate and unfortunate, especially in areas of education, healthcare and vocational training. Lordina Mahama grew up in Tamale in the Northern Region and was born to Madam Abena Gyan and Mr. Kwabena Effah, both deceased. Her father hailed from Nkoranza Bodom while her mother was from Jema-Ampoma, both in the Brong Ahafo Region. After an early primary education in Tamale, Lordina was admitted to the Bolga Girls Secondary School but after the second year, she moved to the Ghana Secondary School where she wrote her General Certificate Examination (GCE). During her secondary school days, she took a keen interest in Home Science and that led her to continue her training at Flair Catering Training Centre in Accra. She also did a degree programme, Bachelor (Hospitality Industry) at the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA).