Rawlings: The Man Who Was Loved And Loathed In Equal Parts

Flt. Lt. Jerry John Rawlings has joined the land of the silence. The only thing that we can still hold on to is the memory he left behind. Rawlings was loved and loathed in equal parts; while some are grieving over his demise, others are impervious or perhaps happy that he's gone finally.

Well, you cannot begrudge those who are happy about his death. Some Ghanaians obviously suffered all forms of injuries ( whether justifiably or not) during Rawlings' regime just like it's often experienced under all forms of military regimes.

Military regimes always come with its distinct type of paranoia; military rulers naturally find it difficult to trust anyone; they fear, rightly so, that just as they forcibly removed others from power, there are others who are skimming to get them forcibly removed. As such, many of them often adapt various sly manoeuvring tactics to tighten their grip on power including eliminating potential traitors. After Nkrumah was overthrown in 1966, Ghana experienced intermittent military takeovers until Rawlings came and sort of brought stability.

Frankly, the situation was not a Ghana-specific problem. In almost every country on the continent that was govern by a military junta, they faced challenges of other groups within the military attempting to get them out of power. The situation was such that some foreign interest desirous of enriching themselves of the natural resources of these countries sponsored and supported other groups within the military to oust regimes that posed a challenge to such foreign interest. Rawlings' own good friend, Thomas Sankara of Burkina Faso (Land of the Upright Men) was ousted and killed in a brutal fashion.

Military rulers therefore embraced the new reality and opted to use all manner of tactics to safeguard their positions.

In the Democratic Republic of Congo, Joseph- Desire Mobutu came to power through a military coup with the support of Belgium. To stamp his authority and perhaps perpetuate himself in power forever, he changed his name to Mobutu Sese Seko Nkuku Ngbendu wa Za Banga, which translates to " the all-powerful warrior who, because of his endurance and flexible will to win, will go from conquest to conquest leaving fire in his wake." He even affixed his image on the country's postage stamps and currency.

In Uganda, Major General Idi Amin Dada also came to power through a violent takeover. To have his firm grip on power, he also promoted himself to a Field Marshall and assumed the title "His Excellency, President for Life, Field Marshall Al-Hadji Doctor Idi Amin Dada." He didn't stop there; he went on to bestow numerous titles on himself such as "Conqueror of the British Empire, (CBE); Victoria Cross, (VC); Distinguished Service Order, (DSO); Military Cross, MC, among others. At a point, his complete self-given title had become "His Excellency, President for Life, Field Marshall Al-Hadji Doctor Idi Amin Dada, VC, DSO, MC, Lord of All Beasts of the Earth and Fishes of the Seas and Conqueror of the British Empire in Africa in General and Uganda in Particular."

In Libya, Colonel Muammar Gaddafi also declared that he was "the Leader of the Arab Leaders, King of Kings of Africa, and the Imam of the Muslims." Gaddafi opted for the title, "Brother Leader, Guide of the First of September Great Revolution of the Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya Muammar al-Gaddafi."

Prior to Rawlings, many military rulers that assumed power in Ghana promoted themselves to Generals as a way of insulating themselves from any threat. But that didn't work.

So when Rawlings came to power through a similar fashion, he knew without being told, that the exigencies of the time albeit his survival was rooted in quelling all forms of dissents while also instilling the spirit of loyalty in his collaborators or members of his regime. This called for the use of brute force, intimation and in some cases, summary executions. This ensured that he would become the longest serving military ruler in Ghana's history.

Despite his flaws, Rawlings was a man of the people. His charisma, oratory prowess, captivating persona, enigma, and his seamless ability to connect to the everyday man on a street endured him to masses. He could have promoted himself to the highest military rank while serving as a military ruler, or manipulated the Constitution to increase the time limit and stayed in power for life but he chose to leave when the applause was loudest.

The people of Bawku will forever remember him for his statecraft in resolving the Bawku conflict, the people of Tamale will forever be grateful to him for giving them the University for Development Studies, many towns and villagers will remember him for extending electricity to them, and of course, all Ghanaians will miss his "booms"during his annual 31st December and June 4 commemorations.

Rest well, Papa Jay.

Writer: Abdul-Karim Mohammed Awaf

Accra, Ghana