Accra, Nov. 16, GNA – Former President John Dramani Mahama, says the late former President Jerry John Rawlings fought for a better life for all Ghanaians.
“He fought for the ideals of social justice,” Mr Mahama said at a vigil organised by the Greater Regional Branch of the National Democratic Congress in Accra, in honour of the late former President.
He noted that during his first term, late former President Rawlings declined an offer by the Government to name the FPSOs (Floating Production Storage and Offloading) after him, an indication of his selfless nature.
“I prefer to be remembered in the hearts of men, than of monuments and statues,” Mr Mahama quoted late former President Rawlings.
Mr Mahama said that was the man and so, of course the next FPSO was named after former President John Agyekum Kufuor.
He said: “Just as these little candle lights flaker even as the wind blows, and the flames refuses to go off, so will the flames he (Rawlings) lit in Ghana never be extinguished.
“He is one of the great men who come along once in a life time and we say that they will never die. It was said of Nkrumah that he will never die, his opponents miss took to mean that he was being deified like Jesus Christ. But all it meant was that his memories will live and will never die. It is the same with Jerry Rawlings, his memories will live on and they will never die. We will always come across his memories.”
Mr Mahama said on his recent visit to the Afram Plains in the Eastern Region at a durbar of chiefs and people, one chief testified that the Plains was opened to the rest of the world by late former President Rawlings.
He said the chief mentioned that their roads, hospitals, electricity and water, were provided through the vision of late former President Rawlings.
“I thought that that was a very powerful testimony. Many years after he left office, this chief was speaking very powerful about what he had done for them,” Mr Mahama said.
Former President Rawlings passed away on Thursday, November 12, at the age of 73.
