My tribute to Rawlings

Pictures by Edmund Smith-Asante. All Rights Reserved (C)

When Thursday, November 12, 2020 dawned on us no one knew it was going to bring the whole of Ghana, Africa and the entire global community some sad news.

The first President and first John of Ghana's Fourth Republic, Flt Lt (retd) Jerry John Rawlings was larger than life itself and so no one expected a man still full of charisma, humour and a statesman to die just like that.

No wonder when news broke of the unsettling event many classified it as fake news and brushed it aside until the President and many media houses conformed it. 

With all the activities heralding the upcoming eighth general election since Ghana took to the democratic path in 1992, no one imagined death would lay its icy hands on the one who paved the way for Ghanaians to opt for the ballot box.

Well I had the chance to meet the late former President Rawlings when he joined the Jospong Group of Companies as a Special Guest during their annual end-of-year thanksgiving service in December 2018 at the headquarters of Zoomlion Ghana Limited (https://www.graphic.com.gh/news/politics/ghana-news-rawlings-asks-for-community-vigilantism-to-fight-insanitary-conditions.html).

Find below some images captured of him by Edmages while he spoke passionately about sanitation, using anecdotes most of the time that left the audience in stitches. May his soul rest in peace.