Jerry Rawlings: Profile of An Officer and A Distinguished Statesman

Related stories

How 2027 Intrigues, Power Play Ousted Ganduje as APC National Chairman

By Abiola Olawale Latest reports emerging on Friday as to...

NAPTIP Declares Speed Darlington Wanted for Rape, Cyberbullying Allegations

By Abiola Olawale The National Agency for the Prohibition of...

NNPCL Raises Alarm, Says Saboteurs Plot to Derail Corruption-Free Overhaul

By Abiola Olawale The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC...

Kenyan High Court Condemns Nnamdi Kanu’s Extradition to Nigeria as Unlawful

Awards ₦120 Million in Damages By Abiola Olawale A Kenyan...

The story of former president of Ghana, Jerry John Rawlings who passed on, Thursday November 12, 2020, after a brief illness is quite compelling for students of history and political science. He was 73.

Jerry Rawlings who was born in Accra on June 22, 1947, to a Ghanaian mother and a Scottish father started out quite early, carving a niche for himself in his chosen career.

Early Beginning

Young Rawlings was educated at Achimota School where he earned his General Certificate of Education ‘O’ Level(GCE) in 1966, and thereafter he was enlisted as a Flight Cadet in the Ghanaian Air Force the following year.

This took him to the officer cadet training at the Ghana Military Academy and Training School, Teshie, in Accra. In March 1968, he was posted to Takoradi in the Western Region in continuation of his training.

Following his success, Rawlings  graduated in 1969, as a commissioned Pilot Officer. He also won the much sought after “Speed Bird Trophy” as the best cadet in flying and airmanship.

He was subsequently promoted to the rank of Flight-Lieutenant in April 1978. In the course of his distinguished military career with Ghana’s Air Force, he came face to face with massive decline in societal discipline, a fact which highlighted the level of corruption of the regime of the Supreme Military Council (SMC) at that time.

Interestingly, on May 28, 1979, Flt.-Lt. Rawlings, along with six others, appeared before a General Court Martial in Accra, charged with leading a mutiny of junior officers and men of the Ghana Armed Forces on 15th May, 1979.

However, this development faced strong public condemnation, especially among the ranks and file of the Armed forces of Ghana.

His later Life, Politics and Administration

Consequently, at a date when he was scheduled for another court appearance on 4th June, 1979, Rawlings was surprisingly roared from detention, and with the help of many military and civilian supporters, young Rawlings led a revolt, which toppled the Ghana’s Supreme Military Council from office and brought the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC) into power.

Significantly, the AFRC, under the leadership of Rawlings embarked upon a radical change in attitude and behaviour  by purging societal corruption while restoring a sense of moral discipline,  dignity and accountability.

However, on 24th September 1979, the AFRC handed over to the civilian Government of the People’s National Party (PNP) under the Presidency of  Hilla Limann.

But two years after, precisely on December 31, 1981, Rawlings led a team of members of the Armed Forces to overthrow the administration of Limann and his PNP administration.

This led to the formation of a Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC), with representatives drawn from both the civil and military establishments.

It had Rawlings as its  chairman. However, Rawlings ceased to be a member of the Ghana Armed Forces effective September 14, 1992. He later floated the National Democratic Congress, which contested and won the 1992 Presidential and Parliamentary elections.

He and his NDC repeated the same feat in the 1996 elections. Among his hobbies are reading, building model aircraft, horse-riding and swimming.

Until his death, Rawlings was married to Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings and they both have four children – three girls and a boy.

Rawlings was a joint recipient of the 1993 World Hunger Prize. In addition, he held an Honorary Doctor of Law Degree from Medgar Evers College, City University of New York and Lincoln University Doctorate Degree for Diplomacy and Development, among others.

Hamilton Nwosa(head, Polling, Research & Data Desk)
Hamilton Nwosa(head, Polling, Research & Data Desk)
Hamilton Nwosa is an experienced, and committed communication, business, administrative, data and research specialist . His deep knowledge of the intersection between communication, business, data, and journalism are quite profound. His passion for professional excellence remains the guiding principle of his work, and in the course of his career spanning sectors such as administration, tourism, business management, communication and journalism, Hamilton has won key awards. He is a delightful writer, researcher and data analyst. He loves team-work, problem-solving, organizational management, communication strategy, and enjoys travelling. He can be reached at: hamilton_68@yahoo.com

Subscribe

- Never miss a story with notifications

- Gain full access to our premium content

- Browse free from up to 5 devices at once

[tds_leads input_placeholder="Your email address" btn_horiz_align="content-horiz-center" pp_msg="SSd2ZSUyMHJlYWQlMjBhbmQlMjBhY2NlcHQlMjB0aGUlMjAlM0NhJTIwaHJlZiUzRCUyMiUyMyUyMiUzRVByaXZhY3klMjBQb2xpY3klM0MlMkZhJTNFLg==" pp_checkbox="yes" tdc_css="eyJhbGwiOnsibWFyZ2luLXRvcCI6IjMwIiwibWFyZ2luLWJvdHRvbSI6IjQwIiwiZGlzcGxheSI6IiJ9LCJwb3J0cmFpdCI6eyJtYXJnaW4tdG9wIjoiMTUiLCJtYXJnaW4tYm90dG9tIjoiMjUiLCJkaXNwbGF5IjoiIn0sInBvcnRyYWl0X21heF93aWR0aCI6MTAxOCwicG9ydHJhaXRfbWluX3dpZHRoIjo3NjgsImxhbmRzY2FwZSI6eyJtYXJnaW4tdG9wIjoiMjAiLCJtYXJnaW4tYm90dG9tIjoiMzAiLCJkaXNwbGF5IjoiIn0sImxhbmRzY2FwZV9tYXhfd2lkdGgiOjExNDAsImxhbmRzY2FwZV9taW5fd2lkdGgiOjEwMTksInBob25lIjp7Im1hcmdpbi10b3AiOiIyMCIsImRpc3BsYXkiOiIifSwicGhvbmVfbWF4X3dpZHRoIjo3Njd9" display="column" gap="eyJhbGwiOiIyMCIsInBvcnRyYWl0IjoiMTAiLCJsYW5kc2NhcGUiOiIxNSJ9" f_msg_font_family="downtown-sans-serif-font_global" f_input_font_family="downtown-sans-serif-font_global" f_btn_font_family="downtown-sans-serif-font_global" f_pp_font_family="downtown-serif-font_global" f_pp_font_size="eyJhbGwiOiIxNSIsInBvcnRyYWl0IjoiMTEifQ==" f_btn_font_weight="700" f_btn_font_size="eyJhbGwiOiIxMyIsInBvcnRyYWl0IjoiMTEifQ==" f_btn_font_transform="uppercase" btn_text="Unlock All" btn_bg="#000000" btn_padd="eyJhbGwiOiIxOCIsImxhbmRzY2FwZSI6IjE0IiwicG9ydHJhaXQiOiIxNCJ9" input_padd="eyJhbGwiOiIxNSIsImxhbmRzY2FwZSI6IjEyIiwicG9ydHJhaXQiOiIxMCJ9" pp_check_color_a="#000000" f_pp_font_weight="600" pp_check_square="#000000" msg_composer="" pp_check_color="rgba(0,0,0,0.56)" msg_succ_radius="0" msg_err_radius="0" input_border="1" f_unsub_font_family="downtown-sans-serif-font_global" f_msg_font_size="eyJhbGwiOiIxMyIsInBvcnRyYWl0IjoiMTIifQ==" f_input_font_size="eyJhbGwiOiIxNCIsInBvcnRyYWl0IjoiMTIifQ==" f_input_font_weight="500" f_msg_font_weight="500" f_unsub_font_weight="500"]

Latest stories

NDN
Latest News
How 2027 Intrigues, Power Play Ousted Ganduje as APC National ChairmanExclusive! Nigerians, International bodies Demand Justice as Ogun State Govt Stalls Estate Development, 9 Years after Payments for landNAPTIP Declares Speed Darlington Wanted for Rape, Cyberbullying AllegationsNNPCL Raises Alarm, Says Saboteurs Plot to Derail Corruption-Free OverhaulKenyan High Court Condemns Nnamdi Kanu’s Extradition to Nigeria as UnlawfulJust In! High Stake Intrigues as Ganduje Resigns as APC National ChairmanOil Prices Set For Weekly Loss as War Premium EvaporatesList of Top 10 Most Advanced Countries in the WorldWhy African Countries Depend On Foreign Handouts, Aids -- ObasanjoRivers Crisis: How Tinubu Brokered Peace Between Fubara, Pro-Wike LawmakersRivers Crisis: How We Resolved Our Rift With Fubara -- Wike RevealsEnergy Projects: Proton Energy Secures Major Funding Deal with AfreximbankFubara vs. Wike: Shehu Sani Expresses Doubt About Resolution, Says Fubara's Loyalists Won't Be HappyPrince Ademola Adeniji-Adele: The Forgotten Hero of June 12 China Launches Phase 2 Deep-Sea Gas Field Adding
X whatsapp