The death of Jerry Rawlings is Africa’s loss given his unmatched achievement as a positive revolutionist in Ghana and an example for the continent. Forget all the eulogies given to the late state men or nationalists, the result achieved by John Rawlings speaks for itself, and it does speak wide and far on his enduring legacy for Ghana.
Rawlings’ life and exploits in Ghana is a template for political leaders and nationalists to emulate. If you judge by result leaders achieved, aside from Nelson Mandela who chose the path of forgiveness to unite South Africa and Paul Kagame of Rwanda, who is trailblasing in the transformation of a genocide ridden country, no one has come closer to J.J Rawlings’ enduring economy and institutional legacy in Ghana. I have repeatedly positioned that struggles for independence or being a political leader is not enough yardstick for eulogies; it is what was achieved by the leader that should be counted.
I will not overemphasise the route Rawlings took to become the leader of modern-day Ghana, his achievement and modesty that justified his political ambition. The fact he left behind him on November 12, 2020, a Ghanaian society better than the one he governed, is an end that justified the means. Yes, he was involved in many military coups; he executed corrupt people, he implemented economic policies that temporarily brought hardship on his people, and many others unpopular decisions but today, Ghana is a stable and progressively united country unlike her big brothers in Africa.
Why was JJ Rawlings so different and was of no match to others who are equally endowed?
The answer is in both the personality of our leaders and the lack of strong institutions in Africa. Look at Rawlings – he removed Limann in a coup and indicted the entire political class of corruption and executed those standing in the way of a progressive Ghana. He revised many policies in favour of the masses. He developed new ties with countries including Libya and allowed the Black Stars to compete in the 1982 African Cup of Nations in Libya. A tournament the Black Stars won.
You are not entirely correct if you blame these leaders. The country’s leadership selection process, ethnical and religious dispositions, and the entitlement mentality of a region to power and positions will make nonsense of any brilliant blueprint to turn Nigeria around
He started the Economic Recovery Programme as suggested by the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund in 1982 which caused a dramatic currency devaluation, the removal of price controls, and social-service subsidies which favoured farmers over urban workers, and privatisation of some state-owned enterprises, and restraints on government spending. The funding for his economic programme was provided by bilateral donors, reaching $800 million in 1987 and 1988, and $900 million in 1989 (Wikipedia).
Above all, despite his achievement in restructuring the economy and political institutions in Ghana, Rawlings proved to be a respectable leader when he voluntarily retired from politics and handed over power to a democratically elected John Agyekum Kufuor in 2001. He handed over to a man that was his main rival and opponent four years earlier. While in political retirement, there was no record of his unnecessary intervention in the politics of Ghana. The last time I saw John was when he was at the junction dissolving traffic jams as a volunteer on the street in Ghana.
You cannot juxtapose Jerry Rawlings with other numerous African leaders without being ashamed and at the same time proud of JJ Rawlings. From Paul Biya-Cameroon, Manuel Pinto da Costa-São Tomé and Príncipe, Alpha Condé-Guinea, Alassane Ouattara-Ivory Coast, Muhammadu Buhari-Nigeria, Nana Akufo-Addo-Ghana, and Yoweri Museveni-Uganda with ages that are out of turn with their positions. Age will not be a barrier if these leaders have the energy, and the mental agility required to govern a modern-day society. How many of these leaders are not leading their countries into their graves?
Except for Ghana where Rawlings did establish strong, and enduring democratic institutions with records of free and fair elections, colonial ethnical distortedness, lack of institutions and greediness of the average African leaders had impoverished the continent politically leading to avertable wars and humanitarian crisis. If you are in doubt, look at these names: Paul Biya, Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, Denis Sassou Nguesso, Yoweri Museveni, Saias Afwerki, Paul Kagame, and Faure Gnassingbé to mention a few. They are leaders who want to die in office and who see no one better than them in their countries. Except for Paul Kagame, as mentioned earlier, the impact of longevity is rarely felt in the lives of the majority governed by these methuselah leaders.
Let us now look at the big brother, Nigeria. The impact of the British 1914 decision and the adoption of the Richard Constitution are enormous in the current division and threat to the fragile unity and peace of the country. Without berating Africans, the leadership pandemic in Africa is political. The leaders of industries and economies have made impacts even in challenging political landscapes. Kudus should be given to the African business leaders though there are chains of unequal favour hanging around some of them. However, they have helped in reducing the menace of idle youth with employment generation.
The Richard Constitution of 1946 officially introduced regionalism. The regional or call it ethical mentality will forever rule and ruin the political amalgamation of 1914. All Nigerian leaders are south and north conscious in their decisions and dispositions. Rawlings’ brilliancy and achievement would have been contaminated in an environment where religion and ethnicity are a predominant consideration. Let’s throw some dice!
We had a brilliant officer in the Maradona IBB. What was the output? He democratised advanced free fraud, devolved corruption from the upstream of the national life to the downstream, put a hardship on people with his unproductive economy policies and above all annulled the fairest and peaceful election in the history of Nigeria. His decision was based on the non-acceptability of Abiola to the military-the northern rulers. The blood of those who died in the June 12 confusion is forever on his head. We got Abacha who would not have allowed Boko Haram and maintained the secularity of the country to a little extent. He killed a lot of insurgents in their early days. What do we have? A looter of no match and another methuselah save for the hands of God.
Next was the Diplomatic OBJ. In terms of economy and fairness in political appointments, he was ahead. He knows the country well and gives opportunities to all. He is a man without any constituency. That was why the major road in his state was left unmaintained while he was in power. What do we have? A third term agenda to remain in office and the evidential beginning of Nigeria’s leadership succession problems. Then was the Saint whose health failed and was hidden and carried around by the political jobbers to remain in power until the drama was over.
Next was the most educated Jonathan who turned out to be the most unprepared man for his role, the one that speaks as if he was in a stupor but ended it well by leaving the job he lacks capacity and for which the political structure can never allow him to do honourably. Then came the Baba go slow whose past election losses lead to the killing of many people and who inflamed people in a video to kill others to defend their votes. What do we have? Obvious division, lopsided appointments, unending wars against the insurgents, and we are still counting.
You are not entirely correct if you blame these leaders. The country’s leadership selection process, ethical and religious dispositions, and the entitlement mentality of a region to power and positions will make nonsense of any brilliant blueprint to turn Nigeria around. Also, if you feel I have been unfair to the Nigerian leaders, please look at the results they have achieved or fail to accomplish with equitable lenses. The truth is better but not in the case of what Rawlings did in the turnaround and the transformation of the Accra.
The above synopsis and other examples of leadership crisis in Ethiopia, Libya, and Côte d’Ivoire, among others is a pointer that a set of a bot is missing in the engine of Africa’s civilisation. The missing link in the African countries striving to achieve what Ghana achieved in the past decades is genuine, selfless and a national leader like Jerry John Rawlings.
The character, contentment, and quality of JJ Rawlings are Africa’s missing link to institutionalised democracy and economic emancipation of her people.
