Ghanaians paid their last respect to former president Jerry Rawlings, during the second of a four-day event organised in his honour by the government and his family.
Rawlings' coffin was displayed at Accra International Conference Centre, where the body remains until today. The former president will be buried tomorrow (Wednesday).
Born in 1947 to a Scottish father, James Ramsay John, a pharmacist from Castle Double, and Ghanaian mother Madam Victoria Agbotui from Dzelukope of the Volta Region, the former leader who staged two coups and later led the West African country's transition to a stable democracy, he trained as an air force officer and came to power in 1979 after leading his first coup, and then transferring power to civilian rule soon after.
His burial was delayed, in part, because of disagreements between Ghana's current political leaders.
Credited with embedding democracy in Ghana and establishing social and political stability during two decades in public life, Rawlings, a former air force officer, twice led military take-overs, before later returning the country to multi-party politics and winning elections.
Jerry Rawlings’ daughter Zanetor said of him: “My father was very loving and was passionate about a lot of things.”
Late former President Jerry John Rawlings will be accorded a Commander-in-Chief status at his burial service with the Ghana Armed Forces set to fire a 21-gun salute as well as offering other military courtesies to him.
He died in November, age 73, and was survived by his wife, Nana Konandu Agyeman, three daughters- the afore-mentioned Zenator, Yaa Asantewa, Amina and a son, Kimathi Rawlings.
