Prince Mohammed Salifu, a former Confidential Secretary to the late former President of Ghana, Jerry John Rawlings, has expressed shock at his death.
According to him, he did not expect the former president to die suddenly because he was still very energetic and strong.
“I am still at home, and I am shocked because I did not expect him to die at this age, although his hair is grey and so on, he was still fit.”
Rawlings died on Thursday at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital after a short illness.
He died at the age of 73.
Speaking on Eyewitness News, Mr. Salifu who worked closely with Rawlings particularly on various documentations at the Gondar Barracks in Burma Camp during the revolution recounted some fond memories of the former President.
“If you are close to J.J. Rawlings, you will see that he was a leader, a soldier, and a fine gentleman. At Gondar barracks, during the heat of the revolution, that was when we had to join forces and make sure that we secure the office for him to rule the country. So I was part of the team that was at the Gondar Barracks.”
“Rawlings is a gentleman so anytime there is a problem, he liked to ask and get answers and if you don’t have the answers you need to find them for him. The Gondar Barracks was the unofficial headquarters for the PNDC, and he was running the country from there,” he added.
He stated that his duty was to sort through the mails that he got and then give the relevant ones to him.
“He didn’t need mails that praised him, he wanted those that needed him to act.”
Several individuals who have ever worked with Rawlings and those who had different encounters with him have all expressed their shock at his sudden demise.
Many of them have praised his memory and sympathized with his family.
