“Junior Jesus” as he is fondly called by many of his supporters, Jerry John Rawlings, the great African hero has fallen. Widely regarded as the founding father of democracy in Ghana, Rawlings was born on 22 June 1947, to a Ghanaian mother and Scottish father in Accra, Ghana.

He attended a military academy and quickly rose to become a national across West Africa for doing the unthinkable; as a flight lieutenant in the Ghanaian military, he led two military coups aimed at unifying the African continent by eradicating the influence of colonial countries in many African nations.

Rawlings, having failed in his first attempt on 15 May 1972 was court-martialed, and while waiting for execution following a death sentence, a group of soldiers broke him loose from prison in June. He later led the group to a second military coup to topple the government of General Fred Akuffo.

He quickly implemented a “house-cleaning exercise” targeting the political class, 8 military officers were executed including Generals Kotei, Joy Amedume, Roger Felli, and Utuka, and three former heads of state: Afrifa, Acheampong, and Akuffo. Some 300 Ghanaians were abducted, many of them executed as part of the move to cleanse the nation of corruption and social injustice.

Many were supportive of his mission to restore democracy on the continent. Rawlings relinquished power to Hilla Liman and again seized power after accusing Lima of mismanagement. He left office after 22 years, during that period, he contested twice for president and won.

News of Rawlings’s death was announced by the President of Ghana, the cause of death was not given at the time.

He is survived by wife, Nana Konadu Agyeman, whom he met while at Achimota College and their four children, three daughters; Zanetor Rawlings, Yaa Asantewaa Rawlings, Amina Rawlings and one son; Kimathi Rawlings.

Nwada Ichelle Mbanefo repoting, Obinwannem News