Former Ghanaian President, Jerry John Rawlings, has been buried at the military cemetery after a funeral service at Ghana’s Independence Square.
The ceremony, which took place on Wednesday, was attended by family, friends and representatives of prominent world leaders.
Rawlings, died in November 2020 at 73 years in his country’s capital, Accra, Ghana. He was in power for two decades, first as a military ruler and later democratically elected as president.
Ghanaian President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, in his tribute, described the late former president as charismatic, energetic, and fearless.
“It is for good reason that his well-known and often-cited ideals of probity and accountability, in which he invested a great deal of his political life, are enshrined in the fourth Republican constitution.” He said.
He said these ideals, together with the “Freedom and Justice,” which form the motto of Ghana, constitute the foundational principles of social order on which Ghana shall develop.
He stated that the monumental developments the country implemented “under the governance of Rawlings would linger in the hearts of many generations to come.”
“History, on balance, will be kind to him and will render a positive verdict on his contribution to the evolution of our nation and the entrenchment of its democratic institutions and culture.” he said in his tribute.
The president further repeated his plans to name the University of Development Studies after the late Rawlings for his role in its establishment.
The National Democratic Congress (NDC), the political party the late former president founded, eulogized his sterling leadership, “which culminated the long period of political stability in Ghana.”
“He hated the exploitation of ordinary people by people who are powerful and rich. His passion was for inclusiveness and the creation of structures to enable all persons to participate in governance. This led to the establishment of structures that allowed ordinary Ghanaians to participate in the administration of the country.” said the NDC.
