By Rachel Kakraba.
Exactly a year ago today, November 12, 2021, Ghanaians were left stunned with the breaking news of the death of former President Jerry John Rawlings. It took many, especially those from his political stock and the international community, some time to come to terms with his death, as it happened barely three weeks after he laid his mother, Victoria Agbotui to rest. A year on, the shock of his passing still lingers, with his absence from every aspect of life making reality difficult for many. Jerry John Rawlings was born in Accra on 22nd June, 1947, to a Ghanaian mother from Dzelukope, near Keta, in the Volta Region, and a Scottish father.
He was educated at Achimota School where he obtained his General Certificate of Education ‘O’ Level in 1966. The man Flight Lieutenant Jerry John Rawlings was a trained Air Force Officer. He emerged on the Ghanaian political scene in 1979. On December 31, 1981, JJ Rawlings overthrew the Hilla Liman government and formed the Provisional National Defence Council, PNDC. He was the Military Head of State until the birth of multi-party democracy which ushered in the 4th Republic in 1993. This period saw the late JJ Rawlings transform into a civilian President. After serving his second term, he handed over power to John Agyekum Kufuor in 2001. The former statesman died at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital on Thursday, November 12, 2020. Events of the day shocked Ghanaians and the International community.
A year after his passing some Ghanaians miss Jerry John Rawlings.
Auntie Agie said “Rawlings has done many things for Ghana, Rawlings is a very good man, so he came and did well for Ghana”
Another person said “I was so sad, I said is it true? Madam I didn’t believe it until all the radio stations were announcing it, because nobody heard of his illness. If it is A he will tell you it is A, if it is B he will tell you it is B.
Speaking with Esther she said “we are sorry about what happened to him but we know with God all things are possible”
“We’ve really missed him so much. He was someone who always stood for the truth, secondly his sense of humour”.
Deputy General Secretary of the NDC, Peter Boamah Otokunor, said the absence of the founder has created a big vacuum, one it never expected to remain so perpetually.
“God creates special people sometimes and give them us, Rawlings was one of them, if Rawlings was alive I’m sure some of the things that Jean Mensah did and got away with maybe he would have given us a different perspective and we would have heard his fire on it, but didn’t get that. So we will certainly miss a lot of things about Rawlings”.
Having served as both military and civilian Head of State, the Late Former President comes to the table with rich experience, and President Akufo Addo, will not lose sight of this. He said,
“I knew that in moments of difficulty in my Presidency, I could count on his considerable wealth of experience and knowledge. On those occasions he came through for me”.
He referred to himself as an adopted son of Jerry John Rawlings and says Rawlings was a stabilising figure in Ghana’s democracy. Samuel Nuamah Donkor, a member of the family and a Former Minister of Health, makes a case.
“Some people might think that the revolution was not necessary, at the time that it was launched but then before the revolution if you wanted to buy fuel you had to go and queue for more than two weeks”.
For the party he founded, the NDC, memories of Chairman Rawlings or Papa J, will forever be engraved in their hearts but most importantly nurturing a new breed of JJ Rawlings.
“We have lost a great pillar of NDC, very soon at the party school we are looking at developing a special course that will study Rawlings into detail, his life styles, his thinking, and all that so that we can grow a new breed of 21st century Rawlings’’.
William Shakespeare once said, All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players; They have their exits and their entrances, and one man in his time plays many parts. Undoubtedly J.J Rawlings has gone through all these world stages, and his impact cannot be underestimated. A nation that does not honour its heroes is not worth dying for.
May this 1st Anniversary raise the need to have Rawlings given a pride of place in Ghana. Sleep on Jerry John Rawlings, Hede nyuie till the resurrection.
Former President Jerry John Rawlings was laid to rest at the Military Cemetery in Burma Camp, on January 27, after four days of funeral activities.