Residents of Sekondi-Takoradi in the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly (STMA) in the Western Region have received with dismay the news of the demise of Ghana’s former President Jerry John Rawlings.
According to the residents, his demise was unfortunate at a time the nation needed his expertise in the run-up to the December elections.
Though it is uncertain what might have caused his sudden demise, the residents could not fathom why the announcement of his death since they never heard of any prior sickness of the former President.
However, they consoled themselves with the achievements of Mr Rawlings and what he stood for and said the country has lost a legend whose vacuum cannot be filled in the history of the country.
Teachers at the Methodist Senior High School at Kansaworodo, a suburb of Takoradi received the news with disbelief and expressed grief over his loss and how they would miss the former President, especially on the political landscape.
The atmosphere at the Central Business District (CBD) of Takoradi was calm as residents, commuters and traders were all shocked and contemplating about the exit of Mr Rawlings.
Some of the traders who spoke with Spice News bewailed that they would miss Mr Rawlings for his charismatic leadership style which led to a house-cleaning exercise in Ghana at the time.
According to them, the Ex-President would also be remembered for his resolve to actualize the 4th Republican Constitution, which was a transition from military to democratic dispensation in 1992.
Mrs Christina Sackey told the Spice News that she could not believe the news upon hearing and had to wait for sometime to calm nerves before she could accept the news.
She said the news rendered her dumbfounded and oblivious for hours before she came to her senses, following the shocking nature of the news.
She eulogized the former President and said it was sad that Ghana was losing such a person at this point in time, and wished the bereaved family her condolences.
Mr Ebenezer Adom on his part, lamented that his demise was unfortunate, especially at this time that the country is preparing to go to the polls looking at the role he had played in the country’s peace process.
Former President Jerry John Rawlings died early morning of Thursday at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH) in Accra after a brief illness.
The former President had been on admission at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital for about a week for an undisclosed ailment which he could not survive.
He left behind his wife, Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings with whom he has four children – three girls and a boy.
Story: Seth Ameyaw Danquah
