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Residents of Upper East Remember Rawlings for his legacies in Northern Ghana

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As former President John Jerry Rawlings has been laid to rest, there are so many things that will continue to linger the minds of most Ghanaians about his legacies, especially, those in Upper East Region

The Former Ghanaian Leader under Military Rule and Democratic Governance contributed enormously towards the development of the then deprived Northern part of Ghana in diverse ways that has created an indelible imagery of many who experienced his regime.

Though some may have bitter experiences and view about his administration, the “ Handsome Fair Man” as he was affectionately called everywhere in the Upper East Region by mostly the aged, has left most important legacies that can never be erased from the minds of development oriented persons and these include;

Construction of the international 397 km Kintampo-Paga trunk road into Burkina Faso to the West of Upper East Region. This Road was constructed in the second term of Rawlings’ regime in the late 1990’s. And has since brought significant impact to propel development in the region.

“In fact, it wasn’t easy travelling from this region to even Tamale not to even talk about down south, the road was so terrible. We spent several days on that dusty road. JJ is really a hero in our hearts, may he rest well” a resident Atanga David told A1 News in a random interview.

Extension of Rural Electrification Project to the Northern enclave of Ghana. Until, the regime of Former President Rawlings, the Upper East Region relied on lanterns and hydro-powered grinding mills for their business activities .The privileged and some government institutions used generators to be able to power their machines. In fact, the extension of the electricity to most parts of the country led has been described the biggest social intervention in the country that led to the expansion of the economy.

A Senior Citizen recounted to A1 News that “I can still remember how there were jubilations in the regional capital when the lights were finally lit.It was all joy and praises to JJ Rawlings”

Promotion of Northern Smock. Some residents who witnessed his administration hold the views that it was under the administration that the wearing of the Northern traditional cloth was fashionable. According to them, JJ as he was popularly called appeared in most public gatherings with smocks which contributed to the acceptance of the cloth as a national dress. “He acted and resonated with the people of Northern Ghana because he loved to dress in smocks during national events which is commendable . He really sold this northern cloth to the world which we are grateful for” another resident said.

Another heart touching intervention made by Flt Lt Rawlings was, when he had to personally swiftly intervene in medical supplies to the Upper East Region that was hard hit by CSM which claimed several lives with many hospitalized of the ravaging disease. There were delays in the supply of vaccines to the region especially, Bongo District in the early 1998 and when news items were carried about it, he had to fly a helicopter to ascertain the situation on the ground and give the medical supplies to the health facilities.

“I can remember his arrival with the helicopter at the Bongo lorry park. When he arrived, we all had to run to see him because he was such a charismatic leader. He really loved his people. When he even arrived at the health facility where patients were admitted, some of them were recovering unimaginably upon seeing him. I felt his passion and compassion for this country. We have really lost a noble man” Atanpoka Mba an aged women noted.

These and other developments including the expansion of the Bolgatanga Hospital and establishment of Bolgatanga Polytechnic are some of the magnificent blueprints left behind under is governance. The charisma of the late former President has got international communities and individuals pouring tributes describing his death as a ‘lost to Africa”

International Media ,The Guardian also reported this about his death “Rawlings started out as a populist inspired by the leftwing policies of the Soviet Union and Cuba, but he eventually turned to the free market to boost Ghana’s suffering economy. As president, he liberalised the economy and encouraged investment in the oil and gold sectors.

He also heeded the calls for multi-party democracy that swept Africa in the early 1990s, and held Ghana’s first elections since 1979 in 1992. With all the levers of power at his disposal, he beat the opposition and claimed re-election four years later in 1996.

In 2001, he handed over power to John Kufour, of the opposition party, who had defeated Rawlings’ vice-president in the previous year’s election.

Rawlings remained a power broker in Ghanaian politics after stepping down, while serving in various international diplomatic posts, including the African Union’s representative in Somalia.

Source: A1Radioonline.com|101.1MHz|Samuel Mbura|Ghana

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