Jerry Rawlings dies at 73
Ghanaian former President, Jerry Rawlings has died on Thursday at the Cardiothoracic Centre of the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital in Ghana at age 73 but cause of death was not clear as at the time of this report, while unconfirmed source said he died of coronavirus related infection
Penpushing reports that, the deceased was born to a Ghanaian mother and Scottish father in 1947, and was a flight lieutenant of the Ghana Air Force that led an unsuccessful coup against the ruling military government on May 15, 1979, just five weeks before scheduled democratic elections.
The former airforce officer was court-martialed and was awaiting execution when a group of mutinous soldiers freed him to lead another coup that ousted Fred Akuffo’s military government at a time when military rule was popular in Africa.
Penpushing further reports that, Rawlings handed over to a civilian government headed by Hilla Limann in that same 1979, but two years later, he unseated Limann for a failing economy in 1981 and became the chairperson of the Provisional National Defence Council.
The late former Ghanaian leader led the military junta till 1992 where he resigned from the military and founded the National Democratic Congress, and thereafter became the first President of the fourth Republic and was re-elected in 1996 for four more years.
Penpushing also reports that, Rawlings who during his reign transformed Ghana, held an honorary Doctor of Law Degree from Medgar Evers College, City University of New York, and Lincoln University doctorate degree for Diplomacy and Development.
The deceased born on June 22, 1947, and led a military junta in Ghana from 1981 to 1992 after he led a military coup, while in 1992, he contested and was elected Ghana President after which he served two terms as democratic President until the year 2000.
Penpushing reports that, he was the joint recipient of the 1993 World Hunger Prize, while in 2013, he received the Global Champion for People’s Freedom award by the Mkiva Humanitarian Foundation.
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