Mariam Mariam
The former President of Ghana, Flight Lieutenant Jerry John Rawlings, is scheduled to be the guest speaker at today’s annual lecture organised by Media Trust Limited. I have heard some people questioning Rawlings’ credentials to speak on democracy, saying he himself was a coup plotter, so he is not fit to speak about democracy. This view is however held only by those who do not know the history of Ghana very well, and who did not know the real story of Jerry Rawlings.
First and foremost, Jerry John Rawlings was not involved in the two military coups that saw him emerge as Head of State in1979 and again in 1981. In 1979, some Airforce Officers protested against the high handedness of the then military government of General Ignatius Kutu Acheampong some months earlier. These officers were arrested and accused of coup plotting. A military tribunal was set up to try them. With Flt. Lt. Rawlings as the first accused.
When it came to him to put up his defence, he refused to plead guilty but instead pleaded justification. He told the Tribunal that the other accused persons were innocent of the charge of coup plotting, as they merely carried orders from their superiors. Rawlings then told the Tribunal how sad he was that the move to topple the government had failed. He then told the tribunal members why he felt a coup against the then military rule was justified. He also told the tribunal that the salaries and other benefits of Ghanaian military officers were scandalous. At that time, Ghana’s economy had sunk to its lowest level since independence in 1957. He said the salary of an officer’s gatekeeper was equal to that of a sergeant.
Rawlings also told the tribunal that he was not interested in his life, but was sorry for the rank and file of the armed forces, who were living a miserable a life. His comments caused an uproar and forced the Tribunal to hurriedly adjourn, with an intention to reconvene in secret. Anyway, Rawlings was in prison, about to be executed, when junior officers and other ranks in the Army felt they could not allow that to happen. They therefore organised a coup, sprang him from prison, and installed him as Head of State. As you know, he served for only a few months, during which he organised a peaceful and very orderly transition and elections and handed over power to President Hilla Limann. Ever the coup of 1981 that toppled Limann and restored Rawlings back to power, was carried out by soldiers even though he himself had been retired by Limann. He was a retired Flight Lieutenant, who was brought back by the men to serve again as Head of State. So the truth is, Rawlings never carried out a coup!
Perhaps what the Media Trust should have invited President Rawlings to speak on is how to stop corruption and abuse of office in Africa. This is an area in which Rawlings made a name, which will never be forgotten. When Rawlings emerged as Head of State on June 4th 1979, Ghana’s economy was at it worst level in history. This economic hardship made Ghanaians to flee their country is droves to all comers of the world. Millions of them came to Nigeria. Highly skilled Ghanaian men with good university degrees were serving in Nigeria and other countries as labourers, artisans and all doing all kinds of menial jobs. Their women, due to economic hardship, depended healthy on their bodies and became women of easy virtue.
It was hell, basically. Then Rawlings came to the rescue. He found out that Ghanaian elite led by their former military rulers were living in affluence amid the squalor, with one ruler even feeding his cows and rams with imported rice. Rawlings rounded them up, led by Major-Gen. fred Akuffo ADDO, WHO WAS THE Head of State, his predecessor Gen. Acheampong, who was infamous in Ghana for giving out Honda Civic cars to some University undergraduates and even secondary school girls.
The cars given out by Acheampong were named in Ghana in those days FAWUTO BEGI, meaning take your bottom and collect one. Also arrested was former Head of State General Afrifa, who demolished his village, Manpon and built a moder house for everybody. His town became a new heaven. These three former Heads of States had all their illegal money and properties confiscated and returned to the nation. Rawlings then had thes enemies of the nation executed.
He did not stop there. The leadership of the Armed forces was invested. The Chief of Army Staff was found to be almost richer than the government of Ghana. The Chief of Naval Staff was found to own all the Chinese restaurants in the country. A General who was in charge of the border guards was known as 50-50. He was charged with protecting Ghana’s borders, but what he was doing was that smugglers would walk up to him and tell him that they are smuggling. For example, they would say they are coming with ten lorries of prohibited goods. He would collect five and give the smugglers military escorts to escort them to their destination.
The Head of Airforce and others were all involved. Rawlings had these traitors executed, then set up committees for vetting new rich. In each area, the people will set up a tribunal, invited all those who went to bed the night before, nothing, only to own state of the —- without any visible means of ——– They were invited to tell ——– how they came by such wealth — them had such ill-gotten asset ———- catered for not being able to con………. Committee how they got them. Some able to convince the VETTING COMMITTEE how they got them, but failed to show that they paid tax and they got punished. That was Rawlings, who speaks to us to… hood, and millions of Ghanaian women journeyed back home dignity. He repaired the destroyed economy. He sanitized the police customs officer at the Ghana Airport. On the road, one does not come into contact with armed robbers or even traffic offenders.
A new political code has been set up in Ghana. There, is no politics of garrison. Winners are declared and losers take heart. This year, preparations are already being made for the 2009 general election to succeed the outgoing president, who succeeded President Rawlings in 2002. Rawlings’ favourite candidate was defeated in primaries of his own party, New Patriotic Party (NPP). THE ELECTION WILL BE HELD IN December this year. This is twelve clear months ahead. The former foreign minister Nana Akuffo Addo, who is said to be at loggerheads with none, yet the President is working for him to succeed him.
Can that happen in Nigeria? No, this is one of the legacies retired Flt. Lt. Rawlings has left and I plead with Nigerians to attend this lecture.
The choice of this man who, as a two time Head of State, hs only two Peugeot cars, a three bedroom flat and depends solely on his pension, is highly exemplary. He has left a legacy for his country that we may emulate.
Another area I believe Nigerians need to know of him, was his stand against injustice. His cousin, also a Flt. Lieutenant in the Ghana Airforce, had some girls in his car, driving back to Accra from a beach.
An elderly man signaled for him to stop. He stopped and asked why the man stopped him. The man confessed that he needed a lift as the night was closing on him. In anger, he brought a pistol and shot him dead for having the guts to stop a cousin of Mr. President.
Ghanaian newspapers published the case. Rawlings ordered his cousin arrested and tried. Interestingly, the man was acquitted, which everyone not only felt but knew it was because of his presidential links.
Rawlings ordered him re-arrested, dismissed the trial judge and had his cousin publicly executed. This is Flt. Lt. John Jerry Rawlings.
I salute the Media Trust Limited’s managers for their courage inviting such a person for this event.
