Sometimes in life, one person passes through and raises everyone's eyebrows. Whatever he or she came onto this earth to do, leaves an indelible mark on this earth. One such person is His Excellency, the late Flt. Lt. Jerry John Rawlings, a former President of Ghana,

Born on 22nd June, 1947 to a Scottish father, James Ramzy John and a Ghanaian mother, Madam Victoria Agbotui, Flt. Lt. Rawlings, whose name was actually, Jeremiah Rawlings John, had his early education at the New Nation Preparatory School and his secondary education at the Achimota School, both in Accra. He then enlisted in the Ghana Air Force as a Flight Cadet and became one of the best combat pilots that the country produced. Through a clerical error at the Ghana Air Force, his name was written as Jerry John Rawlings and that came to stay.

A revolutionary, hero, philanthropist, celebrated statesman, patriot, he became a towering figure on the African continent. He was admired for his sincerity and his participatory leadership approach.

He was selfless, humble, empathetic, a man of the people. He understood the language of the people. He gave his life willingly to the service of the ordinary Ghanaian. He sought to give a voice to the voiceless. A charismatic leader, he was not shy of dirtying his hands. He could descend into the gutters and lend a hand in cleaning them. He could carry bags of cocoa on his back in a bid to help the farmer market his produce. He would sit with the rural folk, cook with them, eat with them. Indeed, he identified with all classes of people, both the old and the young, the rich and the poor, the educated and the non-educated. No wonder, he was called Junior Jesus.

When he burst onto the Ghanaian political scene on 4th June, 1979, his main aim was to end the darkness, and, as it would be said in his mother tongue, Ewe, 'za ne tor'. He named his first child, Zanetor, accordingly. He named his other 3 children after African warriors, a testament to his association with fighting to free the ordinary man and his panafricanism

When he came back onto the scene again on December 31, 1981, the economy was in shambles. Food and fuel were in short supply. People had to queue for hours to get the basic needs such as a tin of milk and a loaf of bread. Flt. Lt. Jerry John Rawlings led the country through the turbulent, difficult era of the 1980s and initiated the Economy Recovery Programme (ERP) in 1983 to revive the collapsed economy and set her on the road to recovery. After several years of gradual recovery, Ghanaians, as well as the international economy, once again, gained confidence in the economy.

With unwavering determination, Flt Lt. Rawlings brought the government closer to the people. He set up People Defence Committees (PDCs) to enable everyone and, especially, those at the grassroots, participate in local governance and hold politicians accountable. This has translated into the District Assemblies that we currently have.

He founded the National Democratic Congress, foresaw the writing of a new constitution and was democratically elected the first President of the fourth republic in 1992. He served for two terms as the constitution would allow. Jerry Rawlings saw to massive decentralisation reforms and privatisation schemes. The middle class grew. He sought to create a socially equitable system where every Ghanaian could have access to the basic needs of life, such as education, health, electricity, transportation, clean portable water, etc.

His policies encouraged investments into the country. There was also an export promotion drive that also saw a lot of people going back into farming. He contributed immensely to conflict resolution and political stability in countries such as Rwanda, Sierra Leone and Liberia and indeed, the whole sub-region.
Having served for the constitutionally permissible two terms as President, he oversaw elections and handed over the baton to President John Agyekum Kufuor in January, 2001.

In his private life, he was appointed the first United Nations Eminent Person for International Volunteerism. He maintained a strong international presence as an advocate for peace, security and social justice. He was also appointed the African Union High Representative for Somalia to mobilise the international community and the African continent, to help bring peace and stability to Somalia and he managed to get the parties to embrace the transitional road map.

Flt Lt Rawlings was also appointed Ambassador at the Pan African Parliament where he continued to work to ensure that the Somali transitional road map was followed and for this, he was recognised for his statesmanship and dedication to restoring peace and security in Somalia.

In his latter years, he dedicated most of his life to philanthropy, paying medical bills, school fees, accommodation and welfare.

He was also deeply interested in environmental issues. He encouraged tree planting as a way of preserving nature. In a note he penned for a magazine, he wrote this about the environment:

“Nature is the only true friend I have. I have always derived so much comfort and serenity from her. The loyalty, trust and integrity of mother nature has never been in doubt. If only our greed and lust for power had not demeaned us, the life of mother nature and the environment wouldn't be hanging perilously in the balance. If I could live my life again and again, I would still spend it trying to protect her. My profession as a pilot would have been empty without the beauty and wonder of the landscape. Mother Nature and the environment made me a more responsible person. My relationship with nature and the environment is too spiritual for a sentence piece.”

On his 70th birthday, a symposium on the environment was held in his honour.

The man who lived his life to free others from poverty, to bring about equality, to seek justice and freedom in whatever form, has gone to his rest. He died after a short illness on the 12th November, 2020, barely 3 weeks after burying his mother. What lessons did we pick from him? Are we prepared to continue with the ideals that he stood for? May his memory live on in us and may his sacrifices not be lost on us.