The Head of Psychology at the University of Ghana, Prof. Joseph Osafo, has urged Ghanaians to show respect to memory of the late former President Jerry John Rawlings.
It can be recalled that, Ghanaians were greeted with the sudden death of Former President and founder of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Jerry John Rawlings died on Thursday, November 12, 2020 at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital after a short illness.
Since the announcement of his demise, there have been several tributes from many people. However, it is obvious that people who suffered under the former President may see his death as a punishment on him and his family by God.
This was clearly shown in an article purported to have been written by the late former President Ignatius Kutu Acheampong’s daughter named Nana Serwaa Acheampong.
According to history, Mr. Rawlings killed Kutu Acheampong.
In the article, Serwaa Acheampong wrote; ”…I feel robbed, cheated because unlike my father, Rawlings’ death was too easy, too comfortable probably. Death by firing squad, that’s how my father died, when I was just 6 years old. At the time I didn’t understand, but as I grew up, it started to become clearer, I had no one to call father. Now I think, his children and I are the same fatherless! But at least they grew up being provided for and protected by their father. So no we are not the same. Rawlings took my father away from me by firing squad, leaving me with no father to provide for me or protect me. Rawlings is dead and I fee cheated.
”If there is an afterlife where you meet those who have gone before, I wonder what Rawlings will say to my father, who showed him kindness, and all the others he killed so ruthlessly. In this life, Rawlings never acknowledged the pain he caused so many of us, never said sorry for our loss or showed remorse. Nothing! So Rawlings is dead, to me his death was too easy, too comfortable, unlike the death he gave my father and countless others.”
However, Speaking to host Kwami Sefa Kayi on Peace FM’s ”Kokrokoo”, Prof. Joseph Osafo appealed to all Ghanaians, particularly those who feel hurt by the actions of the late Statesman, to forgive him.
According to him, Mr. Rawlings, as any human, had flaws but he also did a lot of good things for Ghana.
He asked the citizenry not to treat Mr. Rawlings’ death with contempt saying, “he isn’t an Angel, God or a fetish god. He is human. To err is human . . . To be fair to his memory, legacies and all the things he did, we should carry our utterances”.
