15 Amazing Facts About The Late Jerry John Rawlings You Didn’t Know

Jerry John Rawlings was a Ghanaian military officer and politician who led the country for a brief period in 1979, and then from 1981 to 2001.

He led a military junta until 1992, and then served two terms as the democratically elected President of Ghana.

The former first gentleman of the land was born on June 22, 1947 and was late on November 12, 2020, Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, Accra

Check them out below:

1. He was a Chorister, who loved music and also direct music in his church.

2. He was born into a catholic home and practicing catholic even in his old age. Both parents (Jerry John Ramsey – father and mother Victoria Agbotui)

3. He was a great fun of MICHAEL JACKSON, that on his(Michael Jackson’s) visit to Ghana he offered him a golden walking stick as a gift to JJ RAWLINGS.

4. JJ Rawlings was a a fun of sport declaring his heart filled support for ACCRA HEARTS OF OAK and the black Stars. He also showed support to boxing team of Ghana especially AZUMAH NELSON and also helped cleaning his room.

5. Factually he(JJ RAWLINGS) is and was the only public figure to be a military and a democratic leader in Ghana.

6. Being a democratic leader where he had no trust for his subordinates, he was the only political democratical leader to have two(2) vice president which were KOW NKESEN ANKRAH & PROF JOHN EVANS ATTA MILLS both of blessed memories.

7. During his training days in the military, he was the youngest to have won the SPEED BIRD TROPHY.

8. As a military leader he personally trained his daughter “Zenator Rawlings” as a pilot and improved her piloting skills in several combat fields.

9. In as much as he had his negative sides, history records his generosity towards people by offering to help the needy and others by offering them free transport in the convoy on a long journey trip.

10. He was the longest serving military and political leader and also had the longest reign from 1981-2001 and a short period in 1979.

11. He was the first junior officer to stage the biggest Coup d’etate in Ghana on June 4th 1979 as a result of bad governance, combine corruption, etc. This happened because he was with other soldiers who were refused to be given their salaries.
Rawlings turned the trial against the government by accusing it of massive corruption and requesting that his fellow accused be set free as he was solely responsible for the mutiny.

12. He was incarcerated for sentencing. His diatribe resonated with the entire nation as there was massive suffering.
In the night of June 3rd 1979, junior military officers including Major Boakye Djan broke into the jail where Rawlings was being held and freed him, and ostensibly marched him to the national radio station to make an announcement.

The first time the public heard from Rawlings was a now legendary statement that he Rawlings had been released by the junior officers and that he was under their command. He requested all soldiers to meet with them at the Nicholson Stadium in Burma Camp in Accra.

The entire nation went up in uproar. The soldiers rounded up senior military officers including three former heads of states, General F. K Akuffo, Ignatious Kutu Acheampong and Afrifa for trial. They were subsequently executed by firing squad.

13. Rawlings also reversed course and adopted conversative economic policies including dropping subsidies and price control in order to reduce inflation, privatizing many state own companies and developing a currency in order to stimulate export, this action sharply revised the economy and also improved growth.

14. On December 31st 1981, Rawlings overthrew LIMAN’s govt accusing him of ruining the economy of the nation and also imprisoned Linan and 200 after which he created the Provisional National Defense Council(PNDC) he was too discipline to accept irrelevant mistakes.

15. Interesting enough Rawlings was also the Chief of Defense Staff from 1982-1983.

Source: www.TeacherKwadwo.Com