Jerry John Rawlings Biography – Age, History

Born on 22 June 1947 to Victoria Agbotui and James Ramsey John, a chemist from the United Kingdom, Jerry John Rawlings is well known as the former head of state from 4 June 1979 to 24 September 1979 and 31 December 1981 to 7 January 1993, and also president of Ghana from 7 January 1993 to 7 January 2001. The former military man attended Achimota School and during his early years in the military and also as a pilot he won the coveted “Speed Bird Trophy” as the best cadet in flying the Su-7 ground attack supersonic jet aircraft in 1969.

Read: Nana Akufo-Addo Biography

Rawlings was arrested in may 1979 for a coup attempt against the government of General Fred Akuffo together with six other soldiers by the Ghanaian Military. He was sentenced to death but a speech he gave during his trial resonated with a large section of the public that rose up in his defence. Consequently, on 4 June, soldiers sympathetic to his motivations broke him out of jail, and he led a revolt of both the military and civilians which overthrew General Akuffo and the Supreme Military Council, effectively leaving him in charge.

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Jerry got married to Nana Konadu Agyeman in 1977 and they have four children together including Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings. He was succeeded by John Agyekum Kufuor after his tenure as president came to an end in 2001.