A former President of Ghana, Jerry John Rawlings turns 70-year-old today, Thursday June 22, 2017.
Popularly known as JJ, the former military dictator was born in Accra on this day to Victoria Agbotui and James Ramsey John, a chemist from the United Kingdom.
Mr. Rawlings, who attended Achimota School is married to Nana Konadu Agyeman and has three daughters – Zanetor, Yaa Asantewaa, Amina – and a son, Kimathi.
Rawlings initially came to power as a flight lieutenant of the Ghana Air Force following a coup d’état in 1979 and, after initially handing power over to a civilian government, took back control of the country on 31 December 1981 as the Chairman of the Provisional National Defence Council.
In 1992 Rawlings resigned from the Armed Forces, founded the National Democratic Congress and became the first president of the Fourth Republic.
He was re-elected in 1996 for a further four years. He currently serves as the African Union envoy to Somalia.
