President Akufo-Addo says even though he and the former president of the Republic of Ghana Jerry John Rawlings had a tempestuous past, they came to see value in each other at the tail end of their relationship.
The president made this statement as he addressed the family of the late president at Jubilee House in Accra when they paid a courtesy call on him to inform him formally of the passing of the first president of the Fourth Republic.
“It is very difficult for me to conceive him as a dead body lying in the morgue,” President Akufo-Addo said, “but then, one of the things that all of us have got to get used to is that the Almighty has His own plans for each one of us, and as improbable as some things may be, nevertheless, they happen.
“It’s a moment for reflection and for continuing to believe in His purpose, that He has a purpose for each one of us. And, as it appears, the former president’s work here on earth has come to an end.
“He and I had a tempestuous relationship … over many years but I believe that we came to see value in each other at the end. I am extremely disturbed and saddened by his passage,” President Akufo-Addo said.
State burial
President Akufo-Addo said it is “a matter of necessity” that the former president be given a befitting send-off by the state, arguing that anything short of this would be unacceptable.
He enjoined the family to work with the Office of the Chief of Staff in the Office of the President to agree on appropriate arrangements, so that the nation can give the former president a full state funeral.
“He is not an ordinary Ghanaian. He was the first president of our Fourth Republic, a man who held the supreme office in Ghana, and therefore his passage has to be a matter for the Ghanaian nation.
“I know the feeling of family on such an occasion, but I think that you will understand when I say that on the death of such a man, precedence has to be given to the state of Ghana,” President Akufo-Addo said.
Rawlings family addresses President Akufo-Addo
John Blagogee, the spokesperson for the Rawlings family, offered brief remarks to inform President Akufo-Addo of President Rawlings’s death.
News of the demise of Jerry John Rawlings, hailed by many as the founder of the Fourth Republic, has brought sadness to Ghanaians.
Blagogee said the family is grateful for the government’s assurances that it will accord their late father a befitting burial.
He assured President Akufo-Addo that the family will give the state all the co-operation it may need in this regard.
The delegation
The family delegation that visited the seat of government at Jubilee House was led by Colonel Joshua Agbotui.
The other family representatives were John Blagogee (spokesman); Honourable Zenator Agyeman Rawlings, first child of the late president and MP for Klottey Korle (Greater Accra); Yaa Asantewaa Rawlings, second daughter of the late president; Amina Rawlings, youngest daughter of the late president; Michael Agbotui Soussoudis; Cecilia Aholu; and Captain Richard Fodjour (rtd).
Click the link to listen to President Akufo-Addo addressing the Rawlings family representatives:
Wilberforce Asare / Asaase Radio
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