The Iconic Figure of Africa: President Jerry John Rawlings

True Leaders are born. Former President Jerry John Rawlings is a born leader; a great leader with a big conscience.

President Rawlings sacrificed his life for the good of his beloved Country, Ghana. Even as a young man in his 30s, Flt. Lt. J.J Rawlings had not been scared of losing his life for the good of his Country. In the May 15th, 1979, uprising, he bravely proclaim “leave all my people alone, I take responsibility for all that has happened” on quote, knowing very well that the imminent punishment is the firing Squad; even then he was brave! Brave, even in the face of DEATH for the love of his dear country. What kind of love is this that one is ready to die for others? No doubt he was nicknamed “Junior Jesus”. Not like the cowards who proclaim their love just by mouth but when the going gets tough ran away to the comfort of foreign lands and only return when the dust settles.

He rescued Ghana from total decay to the present prosperity. President Rawlings is always stubbornly sympathetic to the plight of the ordinary people and does everything humanly possible to uplift them.

Former President Rawlings has lots of rich legacies. Besides Ghana’s first President, Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah, no political leader has had as much of an impact on our Beloved Country, Ghana in our life time, as President Jerry John Rawlings. Believe it or not he was destined to lead our Great Country and saved it from total moral, socio-political and economic decay. In fact President Rawlings has been a blessing to mother Ghana. Ghana would have been in ruins and flames now had it not been the intervention of Jerry Rawlings which of course was divine! Former President Rawlings is a man of integrity and great courage who works for the good of the common people and for that matter the Country. He is like comet which radiates light and pushes the darkness away. God has endowed him with the sixth sense and strength of survival and leadership and he led.
President Rawlings is never deterred by the attitude of his detractors. There are a lot of people ready to die for him.

As result of his straight forwardness President Bill Clinton admires President Rawlings so much that the last time he (President Clinton) came to Ghana and Rawlings’ detractor’s didn’t want President Clinton to meet with him, President Clinton had to defy all the “so called” protocol and instead visited Rawlings.
President Rawlings’ patriotic tendencies and qualities made him the most revered personality in Ghana even though the NPP (together with some NDC collaborators), who did not have their way with him to rob mother Ghana, are trying hard to destroy him using the media to no avail. It is for the love of him that no newspaper in Ghana sells without the FrontPage being “Rawlings”. Hence every media house would do everything people to put Rawlings as a FrontPage and sure to have a “bumper harvest” with such a publication!

President Rawlings, God richly bless you. By your exemplary leadership, dedication and selflessness, Ghana is now a LILY among THORNS. When again shall Africa be blessed with leaders of your caliber? Leaders who are crying when their people are crying, smiling when their people are smiling?
Under your noble leadership, LIGHT (Electricity) was extended to those in Darkness (the hinterlands); Ghana Railways were rehabilitated (since Kwame Nkrumah) with your direct involvement; when the Cocoa Beans were rotting you did not only haul them with the people but also made sure feeder roads were constructed to forestall such catastrophe befalling your people and the nation; under your noble leadership you restore Ghana to lasting Democracy, a high standard that you had set for others to follow (extremely difficult for the so called proponents of Democracy to follow); you accommodated the homeless by building affordable houses in various parts of the country including Sakumono Estate and Dansoman Estate (rather than building for yourself as others would have done or better said as others after you did); when Ghanaians were stranded in the Sahara Desert, you rescued them personally and brought them home to safety unlike their counterparts who perished in Yahya Jameh’s Gambia and the government of the day was so busy looting and did not care to seek justice for them.

You always rescued Ghanaians that were under attack anywhere in this world including Ghanaian expatriates from Nigeria, efforts you were personally involved in; you treated everybody equally and dined and wined with all categories of people without discrimination. By your sole effort Fugu (Batakari) has become a symbolic Ghanaian dress of great importance. The nepotism and tribalism that Ghanaians have been exposed to in recent years is nowhere in your dictionary.

What kind of love is this? Even when you were personally awarded for your efforts in eradicating hunger and poverty in Africa (Hunger Award), you set that money aside for the establishment of an institution of higher learning, University of Development Studies, for the benefit and betterment of your country men and women, an institution which now does not have the ‘right’ to recognize you under the ‘LAND GUARDS’. What a Shame!

It is therefore no doubt that your efforts were recognized and you were dubbed an AFRICAN ICON! Recognition others are so envious of that they are doing everything possible to squeeze themselves into history by claiming credit for a vision they just happen to be “there” before your efforts started bearing fruit. Some are now even proclaiming themselves “Geniuses” in order to make themselves relevant and to squeeze themselves into “positive” history.

President Rawlings, you did not force yourself to be dubbed an African Icon but your works and deed have spoken volumes and radiates for the whole wide world (www) to see.

President Rawlings, You have fought the good fight, you have finished the race (although as a country the race goes on), you have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for you the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to you on that Day, and not only to you but also to all who have kept the faith.

God Bless, Mawu neyrawo, Nyame nhyrawo

Daniel Dotse, Chairman, NDC Virginia