Jerry Rawlings, Ex-Ghanaian President Dies From COVID-19

Former President Jerry Rawlings of Ghana has died from complications of COVID-19.

Infoexpert24 gathered that He died on Thursday during an illness suspected to be COVID-19 at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH) in Accra. He was 73 years old.

Jerry Rawlings, a flight lieutenant of the Ghanaian Air Force, first staged military coup as a young revolutionary on May 15, 1979, five weeks before scheduled elections to return the country to civilian rule.

A military ruler, who later joined politics, Rawlings ruled Ghana from 1981 to 2001.

He led a military junta until 1992, and then served two terms as the democratically elected president of Ghana.

He was re-elected in 1996 for four more years. After two terms in office, the limit according to the Ghanaian constitution, Rawlings endorsed his vice-president John Atta Mills as presidential candidate in 2000.

After stepping down, he has still been involved in local politics, often criticising successive governments, including those of his own party on various issues especially those bothering on corruption.

His regular explosive criticisms and speeches have earned the nickname, “Dr Boom”.

He was married to Nana Konadu Agyeman, a candidate in the 2016 general elections, with whom he has four adult children including Dr Zanetor Rawlings, MP for Klottey-Korle.