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23.11.2020 Feature Article

Who Was Ex- President Jerry John Rawlings?

Who Was Ex- President Jerry John Rawlings?
23.11.2020 LISTEN

Ex-President Jerry John Rawlings was a Servant Leader, chosen by God and given to Ghana, to help Ghanaians embrace Discipline, that can lead to equitable distribution of the National Cake, so that Justice and Peace, can flow like a river through every Ghanaian.

Unfortunately, many Ghanaians are not interested in Discipline and that is why when a person commits a serious crime against his or her fellow human being or the State, several people try to move heaven and earth to make sure that the aggressor is set free from disciplinary action.

Surely, minor offenses can always be ignored, but not serious crimes against humanity or the State.

Unfortunately, some people even think, forgiveness means, throwing discipline out of the window. Without discipline, justice and peace will always elude us.

Forgiveness takes away vindictiveness or revenge but not discipline.

What kind of discipline did Ex-President Jerry John Rawlings tried to help Ghanaians embrace? It was nothing else but Penal or Reformatory Action against a transgressor.

The torture and killings of human beings during the Ghanaian Revolution were excesses that cannot be considered as a normal discipline against a transgressor.

I do not think Ex-President Jerry John Rawlings was very much interested in the excesses. But human as he was, he gave in to the famous demand of the several people who were shouting on top of their voices: "Let the blood flow" and this demand is very similar to that of the Jews of old, "Crucify Him".

Indeed, the excesses that took place during the Ghana Revolution, were extreme punishments which should never be encouraged again in Ghana and the world at large.

Today, Ghanaians should do everything possible to promote penal or reformatory action against a transgressor to serve as a deterrent.

Let's consider the benefits of discipline in the Holy Bible. For the Lord trains those he loves, and chastises every son he accepts( Hebrew 12 : 6 ).

Besides, we have all had our human fathers, who punished us, and we respected them for it; all the more readily ought we to submit to the Father of spirits, and so earn life. Our human fathers were training us for a short life and according to their own lights; but he does it all for our own good, so that we may share his own holiness ( Hebrew 12: 10 ).

Of course, any discipline is at the time a matter for grief, not joy; but later, in those who have undergone it, it bears fruit in peace and uprightness. So steady all weary hands and trembling knees and make your crooked paths straight; then the injured limb will not be maimed, it will get better instead( Hebrew 12 : 11- 13 ).

Hence, our Judicial Court System, should be given all the necessary support to continue to instill discipline in Ghana, so that Ghanaians may come to embrace discipline and that the special mission given to Ex - President Jerry John Rawlings by God, may be a great source of blessing for all Ghanaians and the generation yet to be born.

Therefore, our Judicial Courts should be seen as a very important place for promoting discipline that is the key to the flow of Justice and Peace in the world. The Judicial Courts should not be seen as an evil place, or a place for those who do not believe in God or a place for those who do not believe in forgiveness and cannot forgive.

It should rather be seen as a place to seek Justice, Peace and Freedom; a place to promote discipline.

If penal or reformatory action against a transgressor does not become part and parcel of our lives as Ghanaians, justice and peace would be very difficult to come by and equitable distribution of our human and natural resources will elude many.

Consequently, the poor will continue to wallow in abject poverty, misery, and slavery. Many will even not show remorse when they intentionally offend their neighbours very badly.

Written by

Rev. Fr. Ignatius James Yaw Amponsah

[email protected]

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