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Former Ghanaian leader Jerry John Rawlings is often remembered for his commanding presence and turbulent years in Ghanaian politics.
Former Ghanaian leader Jerry John Rawlings is often remembered for his commanding presence and turbulent years in Ghanaian politics.
But to Dr Isaac Kofi Adjei-Maafo, who worked in Rawlings’ government, there was another side to the former leader — a side that could be kind, thoughtful and surprisingly playful.
“He was a good man,” Dr Adjei-Maafo said while reflecting on his relationship with Rawlings during an interview with Kafui Dey.
The former PNDC Secretary for Agriculture recalled Rawlings not simply as the military leader Ghana saw in public, but as a person he came to know more closely while serving in government.
According to Dr Adjei-Maafo, Rawlings was a deep thinker and could also be very kind.
“He was a very deep thinker,” he said, describing a side of Rawlings that was not always visible to the public.
Dr Adjei-Maafo said Rawlings’ kindness was evident in the way he related to people around him.
“He could be very kind,” he recalled.
His recollection offers a more personal portrait of the man whose political career was defined by some of the most significant periods in Ghana’s history.
And there were moments when Rawlings appeared to put aside the seriousness associated with his public persona.
Dr Adjei-Maafo recalled that boxing was one of the things that could make the former leader laugh.
“Boxing could make him laugh,” he said, pointing to one of the lighter moments he remembered from his time with Rawlings.
But while Rawlings could be warm and humorous, there was one thing Dr Adjei-Maafo remembered as a particular source of anger — lies.
“He could not stand lies,” he said.
According to Dr Adjei-Maafo, Rawlings valued honesty and was quick to react when he believed someone was being untruthful.
“He did not like lies at all,” he added.
For Dr Adjei-Maafo, these memories reveal a more complex picture of Rawlings: a leader who could be stern in public, but whom those around him also experienced as kind, thoughtful and capable of laughter.
“He was not just the Rawlings people saw on television,” Dr Adjei-Maafo said.
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