Faces Of Africa- The Jerry Rawlings story

cuz I Manama know what DUI and when we saw him we started screaming daddy daddy that cool will not succeed if the atmosphere the climate is not calling for it each organ yes I have hard work for you Christianize me if you may but don't try to Europe you're nice in June and 1979 Ghana was at a crossroad another military coup was at hand a young F was pilot who a few weeks before had been court-martialed and was awaiting execution was broken out of jail by his colleagues to lead what would be later known as the June 4th Revolution little was known of this man who would later be instrumental in changing the future of Ghana forever his name Jerry Rawlings Jerry Rawlings was born in Accra Ghana on the 22nd of June and 1947 to his mother Victoria Bock tree and his Scottish father James Ramsay he attended Ghana's prestigious @xi motor school an elite school at the time at XI moto was founded on the principle of providing African students with the British model of a public education the school boasts of an impressive alumni with ganas first president Kwame Nkrumah Gambia's sada wada Jawara as Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe all being former students at different times in the school's history I must say that she probably was one of the finest times of my life you know smaller school it's a place to be proud of I noticed him yes because he was very visible and bullied as if you do away in the same class not in a very bad way but you know bullying is bullying and so you can't help noticing but I never thought that will come this far by collective effort that the nation's problems can solved before his fame as a revolutionary Jerry Rawlings was unknown to most of Ghana in March 1968 he began his training as a pilot officer I wanted to fly from the age of six honest I was standing next to my mother you know in a compound house when the young man also in the house you know asked me what I'd like to be when I grew up grew up and I said I'd like to be a pilot and my mother slapped me on the back oh yes yes you'll be a doctor you'll be a scientist I mean the whole house but the compound became quiet shocked at what had just happened I never gave up my dream he graduated in January 1969 and was commissioned a Pilot Officer and because of his exceptional skill he won the coveted speedbird trophy a speedbird trophy went to leftenant JK Rowling's for being the best airforce cadet of the Flying Training School I won the speed bat trophy those days we didn't have televisions you know we had what he called the newsreels in movie houses but my mother was not interested he earned the rank of Flight Lieutenant in April of 1978 the early years of independence in Ghana were filled with great hope for the future with a country's first president Kwame Nkrumah's leadership set to catapult Ghana into a new era but over the years and crummers regime became less accommodating and declared the nation a one-party state why on a state visit to Vietnam and China in 1966 and chroma was deposed from power in a coup hours at school so how did the people around him how did they conduct on his conduct themselves in such a way to bring so much hatred to dr. kwame nkrumah what followed was a period of military crews failed civilian governments that left the people dissatisfied widespread corruption made life difficult for the people of Ghana this led to growing anger and resentment Ghana then everything was monopolized I remember our basic food like beans and gari was only so I remember that I'm mulatto was sold by one woman one believe you me one person was telling that only one there was no soup just muffins of there was name to taste there was none nothing no food and we got to know that Ghana was almost just getting to a ground what is that we have surveys ah we are sure that we can love dueling Gerry Rowling's came into the public eye when on the 28th of May 1979 Rowling's together with six other soldiers were arrested by the militia for an attempted coup d'etat on the government of general Fred aquifer Rowling's appeared before a general court-martial charged with leading a squad of soldiers on the 15th of May 1979 I keep describing it as turning on the gas in the kitchen that's how volatile is was from a distance all you needed to do was to ignite a match and throw it inside and that's what I could have done in 79 15th May I was praying for the best I also knew exactly what was going on in the country and knew that he had taken the flag for all of us therefore if he had to die for his conviction I knew you'd prefer to do that he was found guilty and awaiting execution the trial was a public one that was meant to deter any future coos and was broadcast for all of Ghana to see and hear they were you know that were trading some things among themselves the prosecution and the lawyers and whatnot and severally and whatnot those terms they use so I got up and grabbed the microphone you know said I don't understand these terms and all that's going on neither do my boys and I'm just here and I'm taking responsibility for everything that's happened and to leave my men alone but I wanted to make sure that they hear what I have to say first he made an unforgettable speech in court and said I am NOT an expert in economics and I am NOT an expert in law but I am an expert in working on an empty stomach wondering when and where the next meal will come from I know what it feels like going to bed with a headache for want of food in the stomach he was an embodiment of the reaction the disappointment the great disappointment of the people of Ghana instead the name Rowling's became the symbol of hope and deliverance for the people of Ghana on the 4th of June of that same year a mutiny by officers in support of his cause broke him out of jail sparking the revolution the AL Grahame was in university then and remembers the mood of the time with us in the middle of this split national mood that J Rawlings was arrested and reported as somebody who was planning to clean up the mess by bothering these people now it's important to understand this because he didn't say anything the prosecution said this was what he was about but such was the mood that people identify that actually this guy is saying exactly the way we are feeling so he became a hero on account of the honesty of the prosecution 1979 I was almost 10 years if I recall it that June fault when we had that something had happened other which was on the news that's the first time you know that something is going on the sub playing a gana national anthem so we knew that another person had taken control charge of the country about who they were not really sure some people went inspired I realized that when he alighted from the help kata their men picked him up and when we saw him we started screaming jjjj and my dad was cheeky said I said well we are in trouble in our kids are healing this month when you consider you know the difficulties the shock effect that June fall should have had on us should have woken us up and I do remember to be quite honest in those volatile valence difficult days when people were calling for let the blood flow etc there were some intellectuals and some diplomats who I guess have a better knowledge of history who were asking me to to that house excited too much control I was restraining it too much Jerry Rawlings and his soldiers formed the armed forces Revolutionary Council AFRC I didn't expect it again later the AFRC carried out what Rowling's described as a housecleaning exercise this was basically the identifying of leaders that were deemed corrupt the leaders were either sentenced to prison for their crimes or in some cases executed by the afrc three months later on 24th September 1979 the AFRC allowed healer Lehman to head Ghana and a People's National Party P&P however he'll Alamance presidency was short-lived on 31st December 1981 after only two years as president LeMans administration was cut short when Rowling's owl stood him in yet another coup claiming that his government was taking ghana down a road of economic ruin by toast his second coming as we say call it here the 1981 coup d'etat that then made him the figure that is today that was one people and counted in directly or indirectly it was it was a fairly difficult period appear lessee it's a government that is or should be run by the people I ended up in office not because I wanted to be chairman to be head of state but it was just my passion to see justice done my love of freedom because what puts me always in this position or put me in this position oles government was called the provisional National Defense Council PN DC p.m. DC was made up of both civilians and soldiers the government set about to restore the nation's pride and infrastructure through hard work determination and mass inclusion the politics of the country was being driven very much by ordinary people by young people particularly students and a lot of the people who find out across the country to build a base for the P NDC students took months invested student took months from school to go and lift cocoa for export the symbolism of that was very important I belong to the generation that actually had to stop schooling and we had to go out waken to get cocoa from the farms to the ports to be exported in an offense it brought us awareness if elia all we thought there was a thin divide between the people and government now that alone told as a we are the government and as the people who make up the government and that it is time for us to stand up for our rights that is what jerry lawrence represents for most of the people of my generation a hands-on leader Rowlands ensured the rebuilding of Ghana would be shared by all soldier and civilian took part with no task too big or too small his passion is the underdog not being maltreated or mistreated and looking at a situation where if we have blessed 6 million Ghanaians he wants to bring all six million galleons to a certain level of livelihood I know him to be a passionate mind he wants things done immediately I always say climbing from I always want things done yesterday and Rawlings wanted things done medially quickly they are that one he's that time who does not mind getting his hunted he'll be passing here and maybe we are doing a cleaner he'll come and join us you just get done coming joining he doesn't see himself as been above people I remember one of the pictures he was at a Shama cleaning gutter and people were standing there food Indians are you looking at him inside a gutter your president the young government was beginning to change the face of Ghana but the economic reforms challenge they faced was one that caused Rowling's rule to change drastically I run by 1983 before the budget was presented the budget devalued Ghana's currency from 2.75 CDs to the dollar to 29 cities to the dollar previous governments have been overthrown for much smaller devaluations the long-term effect of these economic policies has been to worsen inequality Rowlands government's response to its critics was to clamp down on opposition the media in particular was hit hard Haruna utter a journalist shares his experience those were what one who described us the battle DS when journalists were under siege sort of at that time he was very much seen as the dictator like the quintessential African dictator Rowling's and his government had to instill measures that before would seem to be a compromise of their status quo dealing with the west Pope John Paul described capitalism the capitalist economic philosophy as the savagery of capitalism what are you going to see about us in the so-called developing world in Africa Rowling's is a man of many faces there was a time I wanted to be a priest you know charismatic and now his longtime secret as an artist has been finally exposed you may not believe it but I'd much rather be known as an artist than as a president just as I would much rather probably be known for flying skill than being a president maybe it's because through this you can see my power of observation my sense of precision my my striving for excellence I don't know where you found this but the point is I've kept quite about this thing because I haven't done my wife spot rate yet you know if I've done my wife's portrait also I would have felt good about you know displaying this a family man he is married to dr. Nana a German Rowling's his childhood sweetheart he doesn't remember I remember firstly I met him in primary school at a school called mrs. sons school and he obviously didn't recognize me because I was black I would duck because this lady was fair and there were a lot of fair kids in the school and he actually gently used to discriminate against the between the fan the dark ones so the fat ones knew each other and the bad ones knew each other so he didn't see me but I saw just that yokai crack all the time nada in the first place was somebody I noticed from the age of 14 somebody I've been in love with wasn't until about five six years later that I could even she would even allow me to hold her hands type of thing oh it took a long time together they have four children as anata amina ya Assent wa and the only son kima the Rowling's as if to protect them Rowling's being in the center stage of politics created a deliberate wedge between his children and himself in the event that his life would be taken his children would be able to cope in his absence i avoided my daughters you know for some years I mean I'd see them that I did not want to develop any motional attachment with them I mean I longed for it I wanted to hug them and things like that but I was afraid if we develop that emotional attachment and something happened you know I wasn't too sure how that would be old copper or handle it and that's why I kept that distance is what I mean deliberately because of what I did the reason I just gave there was not a good balance in terms of family and work so I had to be mother and father to them almost their life to the way adults yeah it wasn't easy he is also famous for being stubborn in being stubborn mind you while I was in high office as chairman of the peonies within the revolution or head of state my stubbornness did not translate itself into stopping our people from doing something that I felt would would would hurt us one would sometimes allow it in order not to break the growing confidence in our people they sometimes needed to make a mistake my stubbornness did not stand in the way in the early 1990s the African continent began to experience a new wave of political structure the return of multi-party politics much like the 1960s as country after country gained independence from colonial powers now the people wanted more Rowling's always able to read the mood of the people was quick to embrace it changing his government from military to civilian he did not fight against it but he did see that though he personally did not believe in multi-party politics but if that's what Guardians want they would have it so the Constitution was written from 1992 to the present we've had one of the most stable democracies in Africa as required by the constitutional mandate Rowling's term of office ended in 2001 and was succeeded by John ku for his main political rival people like to make all kinds of claims about Rawlings that he didn't want to Hanover absolute rubbish I will use this occasion to tell them something that they never imagined had we anyone of us dared to suggest that we're going to stay on for one more day would have lost a complete support of the masses Jerry Rowling's is not your typical serious military man he can also humor a crowd my colleague ministers of state honorable lecturers of the various faculties yeah excellencies distinguished ladies and gentlemen I think I prefer the lady Oh again this little walk do you want to avoid while he was president Rawlings was able to use a grant of $50,000 from the Hunger Project cash prize he had won a seed money to sponsor the establishment of the University of Development Studies a state owned university the first of its kind in the northern region of Ghana before UDS was cited people who attend higher education most of them had to travel for two days in order to get to school that tells you how desperate it was for people indeed not to get educated in 2010 Jerry Rawlings was named the African Union and boy to Somalia I believe the African Union has every reason to feel proud this is one political and military exercise that we've taken up almost on our own and one for the good of that country for the good of all of us during his time as envoi Somalia as well as other parts of North East Africa experienced a catastrophic famine that the world called an emergency Gerry Rowling's was on the ground to see the results of the famine and was deeply moved at the sorry state of the mothers and children he met in an interview with CNN Rowling's shared his distressful experience when you look at the resilience the the fortitude there's a strength in these mothers you know quoting on to these feeble fragile children as sorry as you feel for them you cannot help but also admire you know their sense of courage and determination I mean let's do what we can you're clearly moved by what you saw you may like him you may not like him you may agree with some of his methods or you may not agree with some of his methods but you cannot be in denial you shouldn't be in denial because it's occupied a major part of the country's history after 18 years in power you can say that actually if you look at the sweep of ghanian history geralyn's is the second most important ruler in Ghana's history of the Nelson Mandela once said when a man has done what he considers to be his duty to his people and his country he can rest in peace this perhaps is the case of the boy who had a dream to fly and to fly he did but he also became president John Jerry Rowling's the man who came saw and conquered Oh

Channel: CGTN Africa

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Keywords: Africa, News, CCTVAFRICA, Ghana, Jerry John Rawlings, Kwame Nkrumah, Faces Of Africa, Lieutenant

Id: ikHpFgKJax8

Length: 29min 47sec (1787 seconds)

Published: Mon Oct 27 2014