JERRY RAWLINGS (Nick named Junior Jesus)- Exit of a True Patriot
Beloved, to live in the hearts of those you love and who love you in return is to never die.
Born Jerry Rawlings John on June 22 1947 in Accra Ghana, to Victoria Agbotui an Ewe from Volta Region and a Scottish father, he attended Achimota School where he secured a GCE '0' Level in 1966.
After his, 'O' Levels, he joined the Ghana Airforce as a Flight Cadet around August 1967 and later joined the cadet training unit of Ghana Military Academy and Training School, Teshie in Accra as Officer.
In 1969, he graduated as a commissioned Pilot Officer winning the highest' 'Speed Bird Trophy' as best cadet in flying and airmanship and by 1978, he rose to the rank of Flight Lieutenant.
On May 28 1979, Flt. Lt. Rawlings with six other military officers appeared before a court after a failed coup attempt.
First Coup Plot :
He justified the coup, citing corruption and unfocused leadership. He was sentenced to death publicly and kept in prison.
While waiting execution, a group of soldiers on June 7, 1979 stormed the prison where he was kept in custody and freed him. Shortly after, he staged a successful overthrow of the Supreme Military Council Government leading his group to outset the Akuffo Government and Supreme. Military Council.
He formed the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC) taking over power and ordered the execution of 8 military officers by firing squad during the 112 days of the AFRC leadership. These include General Kotei, Joy Amedume, Roger Felli and Utuka. Also included are 3 former heads of state namely Afrifa, Acheampong and Akuffo. He handed over power to a civilian government led by Dr. Hilla Liman
Second Coup D'etat :
In 1981, he staged a second coup d'etat that removed Hilla Liman to whom he formerly handed over power. He then formed the Provisional National Defense Council (PNDC) which took over the government, ruling Ghana between 1982 and 1992. He was pressured by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) after helping Ghana, to return the country to democratic rule.
Democracy Under Rawlings :
In 1992, he formed the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and allowed Ghana to hold a general election which he won by a landslide victory, ruling Ghana for 8 more years of 2 terms from 1992 to 2000. He therefore ruled over the country for a period spanning 20 years.
Jerry Rawlings as a *Retired *Politician
From 2000, he played his role as a statesman for Ghana after handing over power to John Agiyekum Kufuor of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
In November 2000, Rawlings was named the first International Year of Volunteers 2001 Eminent Person by the then UN Secretary General Koffi Annan.
In October 2010, he was named African Union envoy to Somalia. Later on in life, he gave talks, lectures etc in places like Oxford University where he addressed corruption, poverty, development in Africa and other topical issues.
He died on November 12th 2020 after a brief illness at Korie Bu Teaching Hospital Accra Ghana.
The demise of this great son of Africa is a sad loss. But who are we to complain? Afterall, there is a time to be born and a time to die. There is a time for everything under the sun.
As Africans, we must learn a lesson from the life and times of Jerry Rawlings. We must in the true Pan Africanist spirit, let his death unite us as well as teach us probity when holding public office.
As much as Ghanaians are encouraged to make laws that will protect the interest of their citizens, they should be mindful of the poverty that pervades the African continent and not unwittingly open up their economy to interests outside the continent leading them to another round of neocolonialism.
We should learn to LOVE and TOLERATE each other as fellow Africans . This is the only way to shame the enemies of Africa, who stand to gain from conflicts and disagreements among us.
The CREATOR is warning the political Elites in Nigeria to take a que from the life and times of Jerry Rawlings so that they don't end up as the political Elites of Ghana à t his time.
They are once again advised to move to a two-bedroom apartment in their villages along with their stooges before midnight on the 31st of August 2021. They are presumed guilty of misappropriation of public funds until they are proved innocent by a TRUTH PANEL to be set up.
OLODUMARE says a word is good enough for the wise.
Shalom.
God Bless Nigeria
God Bless Africa.
God Bless Humanity
Kindly Visit https://ayoogunjobi.blogspot.com
Very Truly Yours
Elder (Evang) Solomon Ayodeji Ogunjobi (Deja Vu)a.k.a ORUNMILA messenger to OLODUMARE
Please Circulate Widely for Ripple Effect POWERED BY JAMESON SOLOMON CONSULTS WITH THE SUPPORT OF SAMSOL NIG LTD
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