7 minute read
Ghana mourns Jerry Rawlings
Inset image: YiFeiBot | Wikimedia Commons | CC-BY-SA-1.0
‘A great tree has fallen’ Ghana mourns the loss of Jerry Rawlings
Fondly known by his people as ‘Papa J’ and a true founding father of modern Ghana, former President Flight Lieutenant Jerry John Rawlings, the country’s longest serving leader, sadly passed away on November 12. FLYafrica pays tribute.
“A great tree has fallen, and Ghana is poorer for this loss.” These were the words of Ghana’s President Nana Akufo- Addo on hearing of the death of former president Flight Lieutenant Jerry John Rawlings.
The news that Rawlings had died on November 12 in hospital in Accra after a short illness, prompted Akufo-Addo to announce seven days of national mourning in the country while both of Ghana’s political parties suspended their campaigns for the December elections.
That Ghana has two dominant political parties – Akufo-Addo currently heads the New Patriotic Party in government while the National Democratic Congress (NDC), founded by Rawlings, holds it to account in opposition – is indebted to Rawlings, who oversaw the transition to multi-party elections in 1992, laying the groundwork for what is now one of Africa’s most stable democracies.
Rawlings wielded a strong influence in Ghana during his two terms as President and beyond with his achievements including introducing free market reforms and turning the country into a major player in United Nations peacekeeping missions around the world. The charismatic leader created a legacy of social justice and empowerment of Ghana’s people that will never be forgotten.
Despite his Ghana Air Force background and the authoritarian methods he orchestrated to gain and retain power, Rawlings always harboured ambitions for his country to escape the corruption and instability of the years of autocratic military rule that dominated the 1970s. While the road to achieving this goal was not always smooth, Rawlings clung to his vision for a greater Ghana and was ultimately able to consolidate long-term political change, ushering in as President in 1992 the country’s fourth republic, which has continued to this day to provide democratic government with sovereignty residing in the Ghanaian people.
Early years
Jerry John Rawlings – his ‘JJ’ initials were later rebranded to ‘Junior Jesus’ by his followers – was born in Accra on June 22, 1947. His father, James Ramsey John, was an expat farmer from Scotland, in the UK, while his mother, Victoria Agbotui – who died less than two months before her son – was from Keta. Rawlings went to Achimota School where he proved an outspoken, rebellious pupil who excelled at sports, especially polo. In 1968 he enrolled in the military academy Inset image: YiFeiBot | Wikimedia Commons | CC-BY-SA-1.0 in Teshie, where he continued to impress, winning a place at flight training school and going on to join the elite Fourth Squadron jet fighters based in Accra.
AFRICA UNION ENVOY
Inset image: YiFeiBot | Wikimedia Commons | CC-BY-SA-1.0
Always politically minded, Flight Lieutenant Rawlings was part of the radical underground organisation in the military called the Free Africa Movement and not afraid to voice his dissatisfaction at the food shortages and high inflation in his country when a ban on political parties was lifted in 1979. His ‘man of the people’ status was forged at this time with TV coverage showing him at the head of teams of volunteers building railway tracks to carry cocoa beans from farms to the coast to earn much-needed export revenue and huge crowds turned up to hear the powerful public speaker lambast the ruling military regime.
Buoyed by the support, Rawlings launched a coup d’état, but it proved unsuccessful and he was arrested. Brought to trial, he remained unbowed, famously responding to questioning in court with: “I am not an expert in economics and I am not an expert in law, but I am an expert in working on an empty stomach while wondering when and where the next meal will come from. I know what it feels like going to bed with a headache, for want of food in the stomach.”
Rawlings was sentenced to death, but his supporters in the army contrived his escape and rallied to overthrow Ghana’s then military leader, General Fred Akuffo.
Building a nation
It soon became apparent that Rawlings had democratic ideals beyond the average military leader. Though his Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC) were merciless in holding former leaders to account – something which Rawlings later declared regret over – once order was restored Rawlings handed power over to elected civilian government the People’s National Party (PNP).
However, just two years later, Rawlings felt compelled to stage another coup and return the country to military rule after the PNP had plunged Ghana into even greater hardship.
Stimulating economic growth became the mission of the newly formed Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC) with Rawlings as its Chairman and Head of State. It was not an easy road. The party had to contend with five attempted coups, but Rawlings captured the hearts and minds of the majority of grass roots Ghanaians, who fondly called him Papa J and responded to his nation-building rhetoric backed up by human-centred development policies – with almost 40 percent of total public expenditure allocated to the education and health sectors.
After a two-year dalliance with Marxist principles of governance, Rawlings worked with the International Monetary Fund and World Bank to establish a free market economy in Ghana through the Economic Recovery Programme, which began a pattern of sustained growth and helped restore international confidence in the country.
The ensuing years of improving stability moved Rawlings to put in place a new democratic constitution and in 1992 a multi-party presidential election was held. Rawlings’ newly formed National Democratic Congress (NDC) party were clear winners in a vote judged fair by outside observers and four years later Rawlings won a second term in another landslide.
Achievements
During his eight years as elected President, his achievements were legion. Standouts include improved access to healthcare for rural communities; rolling out national electricity grids across the country; establishing the National Development Planning Commission (now known as Ghana Vision 2020) to make Ghana a middle-income country by 2020; boosting food production by 148 per cent between 1995 and 1997; raising prices for valuable exports such as cocoa and gold; attracting direct foreign investment and maintaining peace and stability with Ghana’s West African neighbours at its borders.
Despite the many accomplishments during his rule, it was the way in which he relinquished his presidency that left, perhaps, his most resounding legacy. When the two terms of his office were over – the maximum allowed within the new constitution – he agreed to step down.
The subsequent election marked the first transfer of power via the ballot box in Ghana’s history with Rawlings’ deputy, John Atta Mills, losing out to John Kufuor of the NPP.
Rawlings’ decision set a powerful example in Africa. Another Ghanaian legend, Kofi Annan, then United Nations Secretary, said after the election results were announced: “With these elections, Ghana has demonstrated that democracy and its institutions continue to take root in Africa.”
Post-presidency roles
Annan’s admiration led to him giving Rawlings a succession of international roles after he stepped down as President, including leading a campaign against malaria in Africa and being African Union envoy to Somalia. Annan also named him as the inaugural Eminent Person of the International Year of Volunteers for his work promoting volunteerism.
Rawlings headed the Thomas Sankara Foundation, which preserved the memory of his friend, the Burkina Faso revolutionary leader assassinated in 1987. He was also a much in-demand public speaker who lectured at universities across the world and up until his death he continued to campaign for his beloved NDC.
He is survived by his wife, Nana Konadu Agyeman, who is the NDC candidate for the 2020 elections in Ghana, three daughters, Zanetor, Yaa Asantewaa and Amina, and a son, Kimathi.
African leaders pay their tributes
Nana Akufo-Addo Ghana President
Muhammadu Buhari Nigerian President
YiFeiBot | Wikimedia Commons | CC-BY-SA-1.0
“A great tree has fallen, and Ghana is poorer for this loss.” These were the words of Ghana’s President Nana Akufo-Addo on hearing of the death offormer president Flight LieutenantJerry John Rawlings.
