The family and the JJ Rawlings Foundation Former President Jerry John Rawlings passed away three years ago on Sunday; his loss was described as a “difficult pill to swallow.”
The unexpected death of Ghana’s previous President on Thursday, November 12, 2020, shocked the country.
“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.”
Former President Rawlings’ leadership style, marked by hands-on courage and a profound understanding of the struggles of the common man, remained his guiding force throughout his life. On the third anniversary of his passing, he is fondly remembered as ‘a man of the people.’
A soldier’s soldier, a patriot, and a champion for the people, Former President Rawlings deeply loved his country. His unwavering commitment to political and social issues affecting Ghana and the broader African continent defined his legacy.
Whether in office or as a private citizen, he consistently demonstrated his dedication to assisting the underprivileged and addressing distressing situations, such as the Buruli ulcer crisis in the 1990s and the iconic photograph of him standing knee-deep in floodwaters at 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 declaration urged Ghanaians to put their love of their country and nationalism above their own interests and political prejudice.
It stated that the former president Rawlings stood for honesty, decency, responsibility, equity, openness, and selflessness.
It challenged Ghanaians to consider his lifelong commitment to those principles and live up to them every day.
“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.”