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Ghana Lawmaker Eulogises Ex-President JJ Rawlings on 74th Posthumous Birthday

Published

5 years ago

June 22, 2021

Eric

STATEMENT ON THE 74TH BIRTHDAY OF LATE FORMER PRESIDENT JERRY JOHN RAWLINGS BY KOFI ADAMS, MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT FOR BUEM ON TUESDAY 22ND JUNE,2021.

Mr. Speaker,

Thanks for the opportunity given me to make a statement on the birthday of former President JJ Rawlings.

On November 12, 2020, Ghana was struck by a massive earthquake that shook its very foundations and uprooted a giant oak tree. Former President Flt Lt Jerry John Rawlings, bade farewell to his beloved country, sending shock waves across the length and breadth of the globe.

It is less than one year of his passing to eternity. Mr. Speaker, I am honoured that as a former special aide of this great statesman, you have offered me the opportunity to eulogise him on the occasion of what would have been his 74th birthday.

Former President Rawlings was admired locally and globally for his charisma, sincerity, passion, drive, patriotism and commitment to the pursuit of the anti-corruption agenda.

Since he led an uprising against the political and economic decay confronting the country 42 years ago, Chairman Rawlings, as he was then known, never wavered in his pursuit of the ideals of freedom, justice, probity and accountability.

His avowed pursuit of these ideals brought him into conflict with some, but also won him mass acclaim not only in Ghana but globally. In our own region, Nigerians are never tired of expressing their regret that Ghana had such a personality leading her instead of their country. Indeed after his sudden demise, Nigerians wept as hard as Ghanaians. They were equally bereaved.

Chairman Rawlings founded the National Democratic Congress (NDC), which remains a huge force to reckon with in Ghanaian politics. Mr. Speaker, you and 137 members of Parliament are direct descendants of this political force whose birth changed the political dynamics of Ghana and has contributed to the most stable political period in our country’s history.

President Rawlings is seen as the father of the Fourth Republic and has been celebrated for his willingness to hand over power when his tenure of office ended. With that singular act, he created the precedent that has blessed this country with three more seamless leadership transitions. The peace and tranquility we enjoy today is a legacy of this hero who, as a young man, won the coveted Speed Bird trophy during training to become one of Ghana’s most celebrated Air Force pilot.

Post-Presidency, His Excellency Jerry John Rawlings continued to pursue his ideals with the firm belief that if we all put our hands on deck and pursued our agenda with sincerity and integrity, we will develop our country in the right direction and ensure that we are all beneficiaries of social justice.

Ghana’s road to economic and political recovery after the retrogression of the 1970s was initiated by His Excellency Jerry John Rawlings, when he launched the pragmatic Economic Recovery Programme to revive the financial health of Ghana and engender economic growth and sustenance.

As a leader, his objective was to institutionalise participatory governance that allowed people at the local level to determine their own developmental priorities. To quote him, “Our objective is to end, once and for all, the parasitic relationship that enables the urban elite not only to live off the sweat of the rural dweller, but to dictate to him the conditions of his existence.” Today, the District Assembly concept is a reality, and that was engineered during the tenure of this illustrious son of Ghana.

J. J. Rawlings focused on human-centred policies in order to improve the all-round status of Ghanaians and Ghana. The list of projects during his tenure as Chairman of the PNDC and President of Ghana under NDC are endless. With food security as his priority, Ghana recorded a food production growth of 148 per cent for the period 1995-1997, ranking third after Jordan and China.

Under his leadership, the Ghana Export Promotion Council was created in 1994 to help diversify exports in Ghana and promote incentives.

President Rawlings is recognized for literally bridging the divide between northern and southern Ghana with the construction of major roads that have today ensured that traveling to or from those parts of the country is not a multiple-day journey. Electricity distribution was expanded across Ghana, bringing in its wake a whole new dimension to the cause of rural and national development.

His Excellency Rawlings was not only Ghana-oriented. He remained committed to peace and stability on the African continent and pursued a policy of nurturing neighbourly relations. He contributed to conflict resolution in countries such as Rwanda, Sierra Leone and Liberia. In 1994, he became the ECOWAS Chairman during the first Liberian war. Under his chairmanship, the Akosombo Accord and Accra Peace Agreement were signed. Liberians are forever grateful for the effort Ghana made to help end the civil war in that country.

In the area of tourism and Panafricanism, former President Rawlings ensured that under his tenure the concept of the Panafrican Historical Theatre Project (PANAFEST) was given life when in 1992 the first PANAFEST event was held. The event which together with the Emancipation Day have become regular commemorative days in this country, have also helped to boost tourism tremendously. Prominent African-Americans such as Stevie Wonder, Dionne Warwick, Isaac Hayes and Jermaine Jackson have all taken advantage of the celebrations to visit Ghana. What is now rechristened as the Year of Return took place long before today.

In 1993, he received the Prestigious Hunger Award and donated the $50,000 cash prize as seed money for the establishment of the University of Development Studies. Today the University is one of Ghana’s major Universities, with campuses in Tamale, Wa, Nyankpala and Navrongo.

President Rawlings was never inactive. He commented on social and political issues without fear or favour.

The list of awards, honorary doctorates and citations is endless and will take a whole day to list here. But we cannot forget his contribution to the easing of the conflict in Somalia as the African Union’s High Representative for Somalia. We cannot also forget his role as United Nations Eminent Person on International Volunteerism.

As part of his 70th birthday in 2017, a symposium was held under the theme “Protecting and Safeguarding National Environment for Future Generations”. Experts from academia; individuals and other state actors spoke extensively on Climate Change in Ghana; Small Scale mining; Sustainable use of our Coastal and Marine environment drawing particular attention to vulnerable communities.

This brave, affable, passionate and proud advocate would have been 74 today.

I am proud to inform the House that the Rawlings Foundation, established to build on the legacy of this great son of Ghana and Africa, will this coming weekend organise a tree-planting project at the Achimota School, his alma mater, to mark his birthday and to immortalise the environmental credentials of the greenest of Ghanaian leaders.

Mr. Speaker, Jerry John Rawlings, came, saw and conquered and his legacy should be one that this house should encourage the youth to emulate.

In the end, despite his political ideologies and leanings, our brothers on the other side did not hesitate to court his counsel and friendship. His talismanic political prowess was admired by all.

The legend lives on! Rest in Peace, Flt Lt Jerry John Rawlings.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker for this honour.

Headline

Court Validates PDP 2025 Convention in Ibadan, Affirms Turaki-led NWC

Published

3 hours ago

February 27, 2026

Eric

The Oyo State High Court sitting in Ibadan has affirmed the validity of the 2025 Elective Convention of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP), which produced Dr. Kabiru Turaki as the substantive National Chairman of the party.

Delivering judgment on Friday, Justice Ladiran Akintola upheld the convention in its entirety, ruling that it was conducted in full compliance with the relevant constitutional and statutory provisions governing party elections in Nigeria.

The decision marked a significant legal victory for the party’s leadership and brought clarity to the dispute surrounding the convention’s legitimacy.

The ruling followed an amended originating summons filed by Misibau Adetunmbi (SAN) on behalf of the claimant, Folahan Malomo Adelabi, in Suit No. I/1336/2025.

In a comprehensive judgment, the court granted all 13 reliefs sought by the claimant, effectively endorsing the processes and outcomes of the Ibadan convention.

Justice Akintola held that the convention, organised by the recognised leadership of the party, satisfied all laid-down legal requirements as stipulated in the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Electoral Act 2022 (as amended), and the relevant provisions of the Electoral Act 2026.

The court found no breach of due process or statutory non-compliance in the conduct of the exercise.

In the same proceedings, the court dismissed the Motion on Notice seeking a stay of proceedings and suspension of the ruling, filed by Sunday Ibrahim (SAN) on behalf of Austin Nwachukwu and two others. The applications were described as lacking merit.

Earlier in the proceedings, the court had also rejected a bid by Ibrahim to have his clients joined in the suit.

Justice Akintola ruled at the time that the joinder application was unsubstantiated and consequently dismissed it.

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Opposition Parties Reject 2026 Electoral Act, Demand Fresh Amendment

Published

24 hours ago

February 26, 2026

Eric

Opposition political parties have rejected the 2026 Electoral Act recently passed by the National Assembly, which President Bola Tinubu swiftly signed into law.

The parties called on the National Assembly to immediately begin a fresh amendment process to remove what they described as “all obnoxious provisions” in the law.

Their position was made known at a press briefing themed “Urgent Call to Save Nigeria’s Democracy,” held at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel in Abuja on Thursday.

In a communiqué read by the Chairman of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) Ahmed Ajuji, the opposition leaders stated:

“We demand that the National Assembly immediately commence a fresh amendment to the Electoral Act 2026, to remove all obnoxious provisions and ensure that the Act reflects only the will and aspiration of Nigerians for free, fair, transparent and credible electoral process in our country. Nothing short of this will be acceptable to Nigerians.”

Some of the opposition leaders present in at the event include former Senate President David Mark; former Governor of Osun State, Rauf Aregbesola; former Vice President Atiku Abubakar; former Governor of Rivers State, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi; and former Governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi, all from the African Democratic Congress (ADC).

The National Chairman of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Ahmed Ajuji, and other prominent members of the NNPP, notably Buba Galadima, were also in attendance.

The coalition said the amended law, signed by Bola Tinubu, contains “anti-democratic” clauses, which they argue may weaken electoral transparency and public confidence in the voting system.

At the centre of the opposition’s concerns is the amendment to Section 60(3), which allows presiding officers to rely on manual transmission of election results where there is communication failure.

According to the coalition, the provision weakens the mandatory electronic transmission of results and could create loopholes for manipulation.

They argued that Nigeria’s electoral technology infrastructure is sufficient to support nationwide electronic transmission, citing previous assurances by officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The parties also rejected the amendment to Section 84, which restricts political parties to direct primaries and consensus methods for candidate selection.

They described the change as an unconstitutional intrusion into the internal affairs of parties, insisting that indirect primaries remain a legitimate democratic option.

The opposition cited alleged irregularities in the recent Federal Capital Territory local government elections as evidence of what they described as a broader pattern of electoral compromise.

They characterised the polls as a “complete fraud” and said the outcome has deepened their lack of confidence in the ability of the electoral system to deliver credible elections in 2027.

The coalition also condemned reported attacks on leaders of the African Democratic Congress in Edo State, describing the incidents as a serious threat to democratic participation and political tolerance.

They warned that increasing violence against opposition figures could destabilise the political environment if not urgently addressed.

In their joint statement, the opposition parties pledged to pursue “every constitutional means” to challenge the Electoral Act 2026 and safeguard voters’ rights.

“We will not be intimidated,” the leaders said, urging civil society organisations and citizens to support efforts aimed at protecting Nigeria’s democratic system.

On February 18, 2026, President Bola Tinubu signed the Electoral Act (Amendment) 2026 into law following its passage by the National Assembly. The Act introduced several reforms, including statutory recognition of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System and revised election timelines.

However, opposition figures such as Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi have also called for further amendments, particularly over the manual transmission fallback clause, which critics say leaves room for manipulation.

The president said the law will strengthen democracy and prevent voter disenfranchisement.

Tinubu defended manual collation of results, questioned Nigeria’s readiness for full real-time electronic transmission, and warned against technical glitches and hacking.

The Electoral Act sparked intense debate in the National Assembly over how election results should be transmitted ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Civil society groups under the “Occupy NASS” campaign demanded real-time transmission to curb manipulation.

In the Senate, lawmakers clashed during consideration of Clause 60, which allows manual transmission of results if electronic transmission fails.

Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe (ADC, Abia South) demanded a formal vote to remove the proviso permitting manual transmission, arguing against weakening real-time electronic reporting.

The move led to a heated exchange on the floor, with Senate President Godswill Akpabio initially suggesting the demand had been withdrawn.

After procedural disputes and a brief confrontation among senators, a division was conducted. Fifteen opposition senators voted against retaining the manual transmission proviso, while 55 supported it, allowing the clause to stand.

Earlier proceedings had briefly stalled during clause-by-clause review, prompting consultations and a closed-door session.

In the House of Representatives, a similar disagreement came up over a motion to rescind an earlier decision that mandated compulsory real-time electronic transmission of results to IReV.

Although the “nays” were louder during a voice vote, Speaker Tajudeen Abbas ruled in favour of rescinding the decision, triggering protests and an executive session.

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AFP: How Tinubu’s Govt Paid Boko Haram ‘Huge’ Ransom, Released Two Terrorists for Kidnapped Saint Mary’s Pupils

Published

3 days ago

February 24, 2026

Eric

The Nigerian government paid Boko Haram militants a “huge” ransom of millions of dollars to free up to 230 children and staff the jihadists abducted from a Catholic school in November, an AFP investigation revealed Monday.

Two Boko Haram commanders were also freed as part of the deal, which goes against the country’s own law banning payments to kidnappers. The money was delivered by helicopter to Boko Haram’s Gwoza stronghold in northeastern Borno state on the border with Cameroon, intelligence sources told AFP.

The decision to pay the militants is likely to irritate US President Donald Trump, who ordered air strikes on jihadists in northern Nigeria on Christmas Day and has been sent military trainers to help support Nigerian forces.

Nigerian government officials deny any ransom was paid to the armed gang that snatched close to 300 schoolchildren and staff from St. Mary’s boarding school in Papiri in central Niger state on November 21. At least 50 later managed to escape their captors.

Boko Haram has not been previously linked to the kidnapping, but sources told AFP one of its most feared commanders was behind the mass abduction: the notorious jihadist known as Sadiku.

He infamously held up a train from the capital in 2022 and netted hefty ransoms for the release of government officials and other well-off passengers.

Boko Haram, which has waged a bloody insurgency since 2009, is strongest in northeast Nigeria.

But a cell in central Niger state operates under Sadiku’s leadership. The St. Mary’s pupils and staff were freed after two weeks of negotiations led by Nuhu Ribadu, Nigeria’s National Security Adviser, with the government insisting no ransom was paid. Nigeria’s State Security Service flatly denied paying any money, saying “government agents don’t pay ransoms”.

However, four intelligence sources familiar with the talks told AFP the government paid a “huge” ransom to get the pupils back. One source put it at 40 million naira per head – around $7 million in total.

Another put the figure lower at two billion naira overall. The money was delivered by chopper to Ali Ngulde, a Boko Haram commander in the northeast, three sources told AFP.

Due to the lack of communications cover in the remote area, Ngulde had to cross into Cameroon to confirm delivery of the ransom before the first group of 100 children were released.

Nigeria has long been plagued by mass abductions, with criminals and jihadist groups sometimes working together to extort millions from hostages’ families, and authorities seemingly powerless to stop them.

Source: Africanews