Jerry Rawling, the former president of Ghana passes away following a brief illness. He was 73-year-old when he breathed his last. Often hailed as the “father of democracy” Rawling was one of the true flag bearers of the Pan-Africanism movement. The charismatic statesman truly redefined the structure of emancipation in Ghana when he became the democratically elected president of the nation overthrowing the corrupted rulers. The veteran leader had made a positive impact not only upon the masses of Ghana but the whole of the continent of Africa during his tenure. He came into power in 1992 after a successful military coup and served the president of Ghana for 9-long years, before stepping down in 2001. One week of pan-nation mourning is already ordered by the current president Nana Akufo-Addo in a tribute to the former president.
A True Ghanian From Mother’s Side
Jerry John Rawling was a charismatic figure in every sense. His father was a Scottish farmer, while her mother was Ghanian. Rawling completed his graduation in 1969 and made his way into Ghana Air Force. But soon he figured out that the military rulers are corrupted and there was mismanagement everywhere in the power structure. He tried to seize the power twice led by a military coup and had successfully stepped into the government by overthrowing his predecessor. A life-long advocate of democracy and its governing legislation, Rawling soon gave power back to the inhabitants of Ghana to form a democratically elected government.
Breathed His Last In Accra
He breathed his last at a hospital in Accra, the capital of Ghana after battling with a short illness. The residents of Ghana as well as the African leaders paid their homage following the death of the African stalwart. The current president of Ghana, who belongs to the New Patriotic Party, a rival political party announced a week of national mourning, and all of their current political campaigns ahead of the upcoming general election are set to be canceled with immediate effect for the same span of time. John Mahama from the National Democratic Congress, a party founded by Rawling did the same.
Africa Will Miss Him
In a statement Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari said that Africa will miss a great leader like Jerry Rawling who transformed Ghana into a new way, defining the bedrock of democracy. According to the Liberian president John Weah, Africa will never forget the immense contribution of John Rawling who led the continent the way towards light during the dark days.
Not only the African leader, tribute kept pouring from the leaders across the world remembering the “Papa Jay” of Ghana. The true son of the soil Jerry Rawling had the vision to transform Ghana into a middle-income country by 2020. His Vision 2020 was something very unique that consisted of some massive economic reformation, a long term plan to boost the growth of the nation. His vision was something similar to Singapore, a former third-world country that turned into a middle-income nation with rapid infrastructure development.
He Amended Ghana’s Constitution
Rawling joined the Ghana Air Force in the 70s and with sheer hard work became a lieutenant. He soon realized that Ghana won’t progress under the tutelage of the corrupted military government. Power must be transferred to the civilians so they can choose their own leader to build a democratic government. Being the head of a military junta, he led the first coup to form a military-civilian coalition government, but soon he perceived the weak leadership of the government and led a second military coup to bring down the administration.
In 1992, he introduced the multi-party election and became the first constitutionally elected president of Ghana in 1993. Having seized the power, he revamped the constitution to make it a more liberal one. Ghana’s economy was also liberalized under his leadership to encourage more investment in the gold and oil sectors of the nation.
The Architect Of Modern-Day Ghana
Rawling was the architect of modern Ghana. He wanted to build the nation in such a way that it will be an example to the other African nations. His long-awaited Vision 2020 was proposed to the parliament in 1995, but later the next-in-line president John Kufour rejected the plan and his dream came to a halt. He stepped down from power in 2001 but remained an influential figure in African politics, serving as a representative of the African Union in Somalia.