By Adesina Soyooye
Ghanaian President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, says a great tree has fallen in Ghana, adding that the fall has made the country poorer.
The President declared this on Thursday, while officially, announcing the passing of former Ghanaian President, Jerry John Rawlings to Ghanaians. “A great tree has fallen, and Ghana is poorer for it”, he declared.
Describing Rawlings’ death as tragic, Akufo-Addo said: ” The tragic event occurred at 10.10am, on Thursday, 12th November 2020, at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, where the former President was receiving treatment after a short illness.”
He declared a seven-day national mourning, ordering all flags in Ghana to fly at half mast.
“I have directed that all national flags should fly at half mast for the next seven (7) days in all parts of the country, and have declared seven days of national morning from Friday, 13th November, to Friday, 20th November”, the President said.
He also suspended his re-election campaign. “In honour of the memory of former President Rawlings, the Vice President and I have suspended our political campaign for same period”, he declared.
The death of the former Ghanaian President, Rawlings, who was the first President of Ghana’s 4th Republic, took many by surprise in Nigeria where he had many fans because of his exploits as a young military officer. A well- grounded coupist, many say he cleaned the political augean stable in his country.
Popularly known as a Ladies man, especially in Nigeria, obviously, because of his good looks, he was passionately devoted to his wife, Nana, with whom he raised a closely-knit family.
He was aged 74 years.
