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The leadership and membership of the United Cadres Front (UCF) of Ghana on November 12, 2021, joined the family of the late former president, Flt. Lt Jerry John Rawlings to commemorate the one-year anniversary of his demise.
They noted that the late ex-military officer was a chairman, leader, mentor and inspirer to them, hence cannot miss the occasion marking his passing away, since the pain left on the cadre corps has not been relieved ever since.
Also expected in attendance to honour the event are chiefs and people of the Anlo State as well as members from the National Democratic Congress (NDC) party.
In a statement signed by Chairman of IMC of the UFC of Ghana, Comrade Shine Gaveh said “Leadership and entire membership of the United Cadres Front of Ghana join the family, chiefs and people of the Anlo State, the entire membership of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the good people of Ghana to commemorate the one year passing of Flt. Lt Jerry John Rawlings.”
The statement further indicated that with the sudden and shocking demise of the leader, Ghana has been finding it difficult dealing with issues of transparency, accountability and social justice among others due to his legacy left behind.
“Flt. Lt. J.J. Rawlings was one of the greatest leaders of our country who truly left their footprints in the sands of time. Indeed, he is fondly remembered today especially when Ghana is seriously struggling with issues that bother on probity, transparency, accountability and social justice”
“Regrettably, his zero-tolerance for corruption has been bastardized with reported but unattended cases of perceived practices that undermine the integrity of state actors and institutions” it remembered.
The UCF stressed that as they mourn and celebrate JJ Rawlings’ well-lived life, they take it upon themselves to “fully participate and ensure the preservation of the legacies he left behind through the inception of the 1992 Constitution and also the founding of the National Democratic Congress.”
In continuation, they underscored the need to fight and protect the District Assembly Concept that has been destroyed by widely practiced partisan politics that has stalled the vision of making the masses leaders and participants of their own development.
Background
Jerry John Rawlings died at age 73, in Accra, Thursday, November 12, 2020 at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital where he was on admission.
The late Rawlings burst onto power as a Flight Lieutenant of the Ghana Air Force following a coup on June 4, 1979 which toppled General F.W.K. Akuffo’s Supreme Military Council 2 (SMC 2) government.
As a former Ghanaian military leader and subsequent politician, he led a military junta from 1981 until 1992.
Before this, he led an unsuccessful coup against the ruling military government in 1979, just five weeks before scheduled democratic elections were due to take place.
After initially handing power over to a civilian government, he took back control of the country on December 31, 1981 as the Chairman of the Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC).
In 1992, Rawlings resigned from the military, founded the National Democratic Congress (NDC), and became the first President of the 4th Republic.
He was re-elected in 1996 for four more years and served two terms as the democratically elected President from January 1993 to January 2001, after which he handed over to his successor, former President John Agyekum Kufuor under the New Patriotic Party administration.
