Rest In Peace Jerry Rawlings

"When I was a teenage boxer, the Ghana Army used to attend World Military Games. There was this US boxer who always beat everyone every year. Even though I wasn't an army member, the Army drafted me into the Ghana Army Boxing Team for the Games so I could stop the guy.

Whiles we camped at the National Training School, one young military man would always be cooking yam for us. Times were really hard in Ghana that we struggled to get food to eat. When the military man went out to get the yam, we would usually eat without stew.

This young man will again go in search again. Then he'd come back with beans. He cook and we eat. In the night, we the amateur boxers in camp will be asking ourselves where he got the beans. He never told us.

Early in the morning, whiles we set out for training, he would come to us. By the time we return from training, he'd have cleaned our rooms and mopped the place.

We got astonished how a military man could do that.

When we asked him to leave the cleaning for us, he'd say no. He tells us we are going to serve Ghana so he needed to serve us. These were times that people dreaded an encounter with a military man we were all shocked.

One day, I approached him and suggested to him that I wanted to join the army. He looked me in the face and said no. He told me the spirit in me is beyond the military so I should stick to boxing because that's where my greatness will come from". I heeded to his advice.

Years later, I came to learn that he had been going to the Osu Castle to borrow beans for us on his own accord. We only got to know about this when the debt piled up and he had to go and pay. We were not getting beans again. But he was always with us.

When we returned from one of our fights abroad, there had been a coup and I realized he was the one who plotted it. He had taken control over the whole country. At that age?

To be honest I was least surprised. He was so selfless and didn't want people to be cheated. People can have other opinions about him but I got to know him from times he was unknown, and I always felt his desire".

Nelson, talking to Sports Obama about H.E Flt. Lt. Jerry John Rawlings

Inaction breeds doubt and fear. Action breeds confidence and courage. If you want to conquer fear, do not sit home and think about it. Go out and get busy.
-- RIP Jerry

Your integrity speaks a lot, don't keep the company of dishonesty against probity and accountability.

Jerry John Rawlings, 2009

When the security man realises the Landlord is the real thief, he flees.

Jerry John Rawlings 2005

The Vigil: Rawlings' Kimathi at Obra Spot: the spirit of Rawlings may not be with us again but his body is still with us.

“What we need to do in this country is to establish a situation where even if it was the devil who should come and sit on top of us in Ghana, by virtue of certain procedures and certain practices, the devil cannot get away with whatever he want. He is going to END up doing what the people want”

- Former President J J Rawlings

May care and love of those around you provide comfort and peace to get you through the days ahead. My most sincere condolences.” “May my condolences bring you comfort and may my prayers ease the pain of this loss.” “May our Lord bless and comfort you and your family during this time of grief.