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Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
President Muhammadu Buhari has described the death of former President of Ghana, Jerry Rawlings, 73, as a great loss for Africa.
According to a statement by special adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, Buhari in his condolences to government and people of Ghana affirmed that the entire African continent would sorely miss the sterling qualities of Rawlings.
Buhari expressed the believe that the passion, discipline and moral strength that the former Ghanaian leader employed to reposition his country over many years would continue to reverberate across the continent and beyond.
He noted, with commendation, the unique role Rawlings played in strengthening political institutions in his country and Africa, stimulating the economy for sustainable growth, and vociferously championing the African cause by urging many leaders to work towards interdependency on the global stage, especially in areas of competitive advantage.
President Buhari said he joined family, friends and associates of the former Ghanaian leader in mourning his departure, assuring that the ideas that Rawlings postulated, particularly for development in Africa, and his sacrifices in working in various countries as an envoy for peace and democracy would always be remembered.
The President prayed that Almighty God would grant the Ghanaian leader eternal rest and comfort all his loved ones.
Reacting, former Speaker of the Parliament of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Parliament, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, said he joins other African leaders in mourning the demise Jerry Rawlings, describing it as a devastating blow to Africa.
Ekweremadu described the late Rawlings as a man who preached and worked for the unity and emancipation of Africa from the clutches of poverty and underdevelopment.
“The passing of former President Jerry Rawlings is a devastating blow to not only Ghana and the West African sub-region, but also Africa in its entirety.
“He was very unapologetically African and yearned so much to see Africa surmount her challenges and take her rightful place in the comity of nations.
“He could well be referred to as the catalyst of modern Ghana, who put the West African nation on the path of the development and progress she enjoys today.”
