OBITUARY

🪖 Early Life and Military Career

Jerry John Rawlings was born to a Scottish father and a Ghanaian mother, Victoria Agbotui. He attended Achimota School and later enrolled in the Ghana Air Force, where he trained as a flight lieutenant and became known for his discipline and charisma.

⚔ Rise to Power

Rawlings first emerged on the national scene in May 1979, when he led a failed coup attempt against the military government. He was arrested, but later released by fellow soldiers who shared his frustration with corruption and mismanagement.
On June 4, 1979, he successfully led another coup, forming the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC). The council ruled briefly, executing several senior officers accused of corruption before handing over power to a civilian government later that year.

In December 1981, Rawlings staged a second coup, citing continued economic decline and corruption. He established the Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC), which governed Ghana until 1992.