Rawlings, Jerry
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Wikipedia-Article "Jerry Rawlings"
- This article is about the Ghanian leader Jerry Rawlings. For the Sport Equipment manufacturer, see Rawlings.
Flt. Lieu. RTD. Jerry John Rawlings (born 1947) is a longtime Ghanaian politician who served as the country's president twice. He has been called a "benevolent dictator" by his admirers and a tyrant by others. Initially during his time in office, he committed his government to populist reforms such as socialist economics and anti-corruption measures from which he was to deviate later in his rule.
Jerry John Rawlings was born in Accra on 22nd June, 1947, to a Ghanaian mother from Dzelukope, near Keta, in the Volta Region, and a Scottish father. He was educated at Achimota School where he could not obtained his General Certificate of Education 'O' Level due to his disciplinary problems. He enlisted as a Flight Cadet in the Ghana Air Force in August, 1967, and was subsequently selected for officer cadet training at the Ghana Military Academy and Training School, Teshie, in Accra.
In March, 1968, he was posted to Takoradi in the Western Region to continue his course. He passed out in January, 1969, as a commissioned Pilot Officer. He won the coveted "Speed Bird Trophy" as the best cadet in flying and airmanship. He earned the rank of Flight-Lieutenant in April, 1978. He was an efficient officer with a close rapport with his men.
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Rawlings as a Military Leader
Rawlings was a member of the Ghanaian military with the rank of flight lieutenant. Jerry Rawlings was imprisoned for an attempted coup in 1979.
During his service with the Ghana Air Force, he percieved that there was a deterioration of discipline and morale, reflecting the corruption of the regime of the Supreme Military Council (SMC) at that time. As promotion brought him into contact with the privileged classes and their social values, his perception of the injustices in society was sharpened. He was thus regarded with some unease by the SMC. He read widely and discussed social and political ideas with a growing circle of like-minded friends and colleagues.
On May 28, 1979, Flt.-Lt. Rawlings, together with six others were arrested, appeared before a General Court Martial in Accra, charged with leading a mutiny of junior officers and men of the Ghana Armed Forces on 15th May, 1979. There was strong public reaction, especially after his statement had been read in court, explaining the social injustices that had prompted him to act. The ranks of the Armed Forces, in particular, expressed deep sympathy with his stated aims.
When he was scheduled for another court appearance on 4th June, 1979, Flt.-Lt. Rawlings was sprung from custody. With the support of both military and civilians, he led a revolt, which decisively ousted the Supreme Military Council from office and brought the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC) into being.
The AFRC, under the chairmanship of Flt.Lt. Rawlings, carried out a "house-cleaning exercise" aimed at purging the Armed Forces and society at large of corruption and graft as well as restoring a sense of moral responsibility and the principles of accountability and probity in public life. Innocent lives were lost, others based of rumours and personal hatred. Ghana witnessed its own "reign of terror" Meanwhile, following the programme already set in motion before the 4th June Uprising for civilian administration, general elections were held. On 24th September, 1979, the AFRC handed over to the civilian Government of the People's National Party (PNP) under President Hilla Limann.
He came to power after a bloody military coup organised by his supporters on June 4, 1979. Shortly after that coup, Rawlings ordered the execution of all former military dictators. Acheampong, Afrifa and Akuffo were executed for various abuses during their respective terms. He is also thought to be behind the execution of the standing supreme court judges of the time, who were forcibly taken from their homes and executed in cold blood. Evidence abound about his complicity in those crimes After about 4 months in office, Rawlings' junta, under the banner of the AFRC, organized free elections and handed power to the elected president Hilla Limann - in hindsight considered as ineffective and merely a stooge for the AFRC establishment.
However, Limann's administration was cut short on December 31, 1981 when Rawlings deposed him in a coup. After his second coup Rawlings' policies became more centrist, as he began to advocate free-market reforms. However, despite the country's relative economic success, the Ghanaian government was criticized both at home and abroad for committing numerous abuses of human rights. On 31st December, 1981, Flt. Lt. Rawlings led a section of the Armed Forces to overthrow the PNP administration. A Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC), composed of both civilian and military members, was established, with Flt-Lt. J.J. Rawlings as the Chairman.
Rawlings as the President of the Third Republic
Rawlings and his party the NDC, were elected in 1992 and again in 1996 in not so called free and fair elections. "Stolen Verdict" is book published by the opposition which chronicle instances of vote rigging and act of intimidation and fear. Following the requirements of the constitution, he retired in 2001 and was succeeded by John Kufuor, his main opponent in the 1996 election who defeated Rawlings's vice-president John Atta-Mills in 2000 and 2004. Though he could not complet High School diploma and has only Air Force graduate diploma, he appointed several technocrats such as Dr. Kwesi Botchwey, Ekwow Spio-Garbrah and Dr. Obed Yao Asamoah to important positions during his tenure.
His interests include climbing tress, horse-riding and swimming. He is married to Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings with whom he has four children - three girls and a boy.
Flt-Lt. Rawlings ceased to be a member of the Ghana Armed Forces with effect from September 14, 1992. He became a member and flag bearer of the National Democratic Congress, which contested and won the 1992 Presidential and Parliamentary elections. He and the party again won the 1996 elections. His term of office ends in the year 2000.
He is the joint recipient of the 1993 World Hunger Prize. He holds an Honorary Doctor of Law Degree from Medgar Evers College, City University of New York and Lincoln University Doctorate Degree for Diplomacy and Development.
Achievements of Rawlings regime
- Achieved political and economic stability in a region rife with conflicts - Liberia, Cote d'Ivoire, Togo, Guinea Bissau and Sierra Leone.
- Created 110 districts through non-partisan district level elections. Education, infrastructure developments and healthcare all devolved to the district level. Annual government subvention by law goes to the district -- unthinkable in many other African countries.
- Absorbed hundreds of thousands of Ghanaians living on Nigeria who were expelled. Housed them at El -Wak stadium in 1983 and then moved them to their family homes. Most other economies, including even advanced ones such as Germany saw their economies suffer when they reunified with integrated citizens - eg. German re-unification, Czech/Slovak split.
- Built first ever memorials to Kwame Nkrumah and W.E.B. DuBois.
- Carved out an independent foreign policy unlike the pro-West policies of the PP and NPP or the pro-East policies of the CPP.
- Returned Ghana to democratic rule in 1992, after a public referendum by a wide majority approved a new constitution. Neither Nigeria, Iraq, Togo, or Cote d'Ivoire were able to achieve this feat. In Nigeria two governments were overthrown during this period.
- Passed the value added tax (VATR of 10%) to secure government revenue base, which today funds most government public expenditures.
- Passed the Ghana Educational Trust Fund (GET Fund) that is today educating millions of Ghanaians.
- First Ghanaian President in 20 years to be received on a state visit of the US.
- Exapanded electricity to Northern parts of Ghana - hitherto ignored by ruling elites since 1957.
- Both Bill Clinton and Queen Elizabeth II visited Ghana during Rawlings tenure to highlight the successes of the country.
- The NDC’s agricultural policy and programme 1994-2000 resulted in the acclamation of Ghana’s Food Production Index of 148% for 1995-1997 as “the third highest achievement in the record after Jordan (157%) and China (156%) in the World Bank’s “1999-2000 Development Report.”
Criticisms of Rawlings regime
- Jailed dissidents who plotted to overthrow regime.
- That while the court martial and executions of former president's Kutu Acheampong and Akuffu Addo might be understandable, that of Roy Amedume, Roger Felli, Boakye and Afrifa are believed by some to not be justified.
- Was sometimes hostile to freedom of the press - though it was also during his regime that the press was privatized and many opposition papers and radio stations grew.
- Accused of complicity in murder of 3 judges - though independent commission headed by Surpreme Court Justice G.E.K. Aikins absolved Rawlings of any connections to the killings.
- Was too cozy with Libya's Qadaffi, Palestine's Yasser Arafat and Burkina Faso's Thomas Sankara.
Contemporary Sightings
- Jerry Rawlings writes, "As one of the few African leaders to resuscitate a collapsed economy, I would have preferred unconditional debt cancellation for all sub-Saharan Africa, with a monitoring system to ensure that the released funds go into basic infrastructure, health, education and provision of good drinking water - and are not deposited in banks in donor countries," in a Guardian article titled Africa Needs People Power.
| Preceded by: Fred Akuffo |
President of Ghana 1979 |
Succeeded by: Hilla Limann |
| Preceded by: Hilla Limann |
President of Ghana 1981∧2001 |
Succeeded by: John Kufuor |