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0 By Iddi Yire, GNA
Accra, June 22, GNA – The ruling National Democratic Congress’ (NDC) has immortalised its ideological Founder, former President Jerry John Rawlings by naming of the Party’s Headquarters Building located at Adababraka in Accra, as the JJ Rawlings House.
The event took place at the JJ Rawlings House in Adabraka in Accra.
President Mahama together with Mr Johnson Asiedu Nketia, NDC National Chairman; Mr Fifi Fiavi Kwetey, NDC General Secretary and the Agyeman-Rawlings Family collectively unveiled a bust and plaque in honour of the NDC Founder.
Former President Rawlings, who was the longest serving Ghanaian leader, was born on June 22, 1947, and passed on November 12, 2020.
He founded the NDC in 1992, which subsequently won the December 7, 1992 general election, ushering in Fourth Republic on January 7, 1993.
President Mahama, in his address, said: “Today is a day of remembrance. It’s a day of gratitude and renewal. It’s a day that invites us to reflect on our journey as a political movement.”
He added: “We honor the sacrifices of those who came before us and to recommit ourselves to the ideals that have guided our political tradition through the decades.”
President Mahama said the ceremony was not merely about renaming a building and unveiling a monument but was also about preserving history, celebrating leadership and passing on enduring values to future generations.
President Mahama, who is also the current leader of the governing NDC, noted that every enduring institution rests on the sacrifices of men and women who dedicate themselves to courses greater than their personal interests.
He said political movements in particular derive their strength not only from their organizational structures, but also from the principles, the convictions and leadership that inspire their members.
“Our party has been shaped by countless patriots who work tirelessly often in difficult circumstances to advance the course of social justice, democratic governance, national development and the empowerment of their ordinary citizens,” he said.
“So today we honour one of the most influential figures on that journey. The man we commemorate today, Jerry John Rawlings as a man whose leadership courage and unwavering commitment to the ideals of probity, accountability and social justice and national service have helped shape the political tradition from which our Party emerged,” President Mahama added.
President Mahama said beyond being a former president of the Republic, former President Rawlings was a transformative figure whose vision inspired generations of Ghanaians and whose determination laid the foundations for the democratic stability and political freedoms that we now enjoy today as a nation.
He was a leader who challenged the status quo when he believed the interests of ordinary Ghanaian people were being neglected, devoted his life to empowering the disadvantage, promoted accountability in public life and building a nation founded on fairness, justice and opportunity.
President Mahama said in naming the headquarters after former President Rawlings was therefore not only a tribute to his immense contribution to the party and their nation, but also a declaration that the values he championed- integrity, patriotism, sacrifice, courage, discipline and service- to the people must continue to guide the actions the party and the government.
The President said the event should serve as a constant reminder to everyone who enters this building that leadership is ultimately about service, and that political power must always be exercised in the interests of the people.
President Mahama said: “This Headquarters is more than an administrative facility. It is the operational heart of our Party. It is a place where ideas are debated, policies are formulated, manifest tools are written, strategies and decisions are made in pursuit of our mission to serve the people of Ghana.
“It is where generations of the Party faithful have gathered in moments of triumph and been guided in moments of challenge. It is where our collective aspirations for a Better Ghana or a Reset Agenda are translated into programmes and actions.
President Mahama said by naming the NDC Headquarters after Jerry Rawlings, the party faithful were embedding their history in the very fabric of the Party and ensuring that future generations would never lose sight of the values and sacrifices that had brought them that far.
“The unveiling of this bust holds similar significance. Across the world, nations honor their statesmen and women with monuments and memorials that preserve their memory and inspire future generations,” he said.
“Such monuments are not erected merely to commemorate the individual. They are intended to remind us of the ideals and principles for which those individuals stood. And so, as we unveil this bust today, we celebrate not only Jerry Rawlings life, but also the values he embodied.
“We celebrate his courage and leadership. We celebrate his conviction in times of uncertainty. We celebrate his commitment to national service.”
He said they celebrate, enjoy and believe that public office should be used to improve the lives of ordinary citizens.
“And so may this monument serve as a source of inspiration to all who see it. And a reminder that every generation has a responsibility to contribute to the progress of our nation.”
He said former President Rawlings himself, if he were alive, would have been very uncomfortable with the ceremony they were holding, by which they sought to immortalize his name.
He recalled that the former President’s life’s time, he resisted all attempts to name significant monuments after him, citing an instance when the politely declined to have the University for Development Studies named after him, even though he had given up his World Food Price Award as seed funding to start that university.
“He replied to my letter during my previous Presidency. When I wrote to seek his permission to name the FPSO for the ENI Sankofa field after him, he said, “pass it on to President Kufuor.””
President Mahama said former President Rawlings preferred to have his name inscribed in the minds and hearts of men done on statues and monuments.
President Mahama said: “Fortunately for us today, he is in no position to object to what we are doing here to immortalize his name.”
Mr Kimathi Agyeman-Rawlings, the son of former President Rawlings on behalf of the Agyeman-Rawlings Family expressed gratitude to President Mahama and the NDC for the honour done to their late father.
He said the day had been much more than a ceremonial occasion, stating that it had been a moment of reflection, remembrance and recommitment.
He said by naming the NDC Headquarters after former President Rawlings, the Party had permanently inscribed his name into the very home of the ideals, sacrifices and aspirations to which he devoted his life.
“The enduring recognition is not simply about honoring a man, it is about preserving and reaffirming the values that inspired a movement and helped shape a nation,” Mr Agyeman-Rawlings said
GNA
Edited by Benjamin Mensah
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