“First of all, I will like to pray to God to forgive him for all the mistakes and dirty things associated with him,” these were the exact words of Major (Retired) Sulemana following the demise of Former President Jerry John Rawlings.

The Former Military Commander in Charge of Recce Regiment who is now the Paramount Chief of Tolon Traditional Area spoke highly of the former President and discounted a number of incidents that were associated to him.

“To tell you the truth, when things happen this way, we look at things above without looking at those under. I strongly believe that Rawlings did not just wake up and gave orders that other people should be killed”, he disclosed in an interview monitored by MyNewsGh.com while reacting to some atrocities witnesses under the tenure of the former President.

Former President Jerry John Rawlings died on November 12, 2020, at the age of 73.

He led two coups, first in 1979, before twice being elected president in multiparty polls.

A charismatic figure, he first seized power railing against corruption and was responsible for executing several former heads of state for their alleged graft and mismanagement.

He was also seen as a champion of the poor but came to be criticised for alleged human rights abuses.

He died at the hospital in the capital, Accra, after a short illness.

A week of national mourning has been announced in Ghana for the country’s longest-serving leader, who oversaw the transition to multiparty elections in what is now one of Africa’s most stable democracies.