The JJ Rawlings Foundation and the family Sunday commemorated three years of the passing of former President Jerry John Rawlings, describing his loss as a “difficult pill to swallow.”

On Thursday, November 12, 2020, Ghana was shaken by the sudden demise of the former President.

“The shock and pain of the loss of a husband, father and champion of the masses was very heavy to bear and is indeed still a difficult pill for many to swallow,” said the Foundation and Family in a statement copied to the Ghana News Agency.

“Today marks three years of the loss of a man who endeared himself to millions in our country Ghana, our continent Africa, and across the world.”

Flight Lieutenant Jerry John Rawlings stood for selflessness and a rare form of candour.

He was a strong man whose approach to leadership had redefined what “we ought to espouse as leaders regardless of our fields.”

The former President’s courageous hands-on style of leadership, juxtaposed with his understanding and appreciation of the struggles of the common man defined his raison d’etre right throughout his life.

As the nation marked the third year of his passing, he would be remembered as ‘a man of the people,’ the statement said.

Former President Rawlings was a soldier’s soldier; a patriot; a fighter for the people, who loved his country deeply.

He remained boldly steadfast in his position on political and social issues that affected Ghana and other countries within the continent.

As President and former President, he never paused in his desire to help the underprivileged or distressed as in the cases of Buruli ulcer in the 1990s and the memorable photograph of him standing knee deep in flood waters at the Kwame Nkrumah Circle.

“We cannot forget how one June 4 morning he cut short the celebration to visit the site of the June 3, 2015 disaster also at the Kwame Nkrumah Circle,” it said.

“As the JJ Rawlings Foundation and Family, we join all Ghanaians whose lives were impacted by President Jerry John Rawlings to celebrate his memory.”

The statement called on Ghanaians to revive the spirit of nationalism and love for country above personal pursuits and political bias.

Former President Rawlings stood for integrity, probity, accountability, equity, transparency and selflessness, it said.

It urged Ghanaians to reflect on his lifetime of dedication to those ideals and embody them in their daily lives.

“As we celebrate the memory of Chairman Rawlings, we pray that we will unite as a people to lift high the image of our country, pursuing Ghana’s socio-economic revival and development with selflessness and purposeful devotion.”