Jerry Rawlings

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High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! Jerry John Rawlings born Jeremiah Rawlings John 22 June 1947 in Accra, Gold Coast is a former military ruler who ruled Ghana for a total of nearly 19 years. In the 1990s he began a process of political liberalization. He was twice the head of state of Ghana and was the 1st President of the Fourth Republic.Rawlings first appeared on the Ghanaian political scene on 15 May 1979 when he led a group of junior officers in the Ghana Air Force in a mutiny that resulted in his arrest and imprisonment. He was court-martialled in public and sentenced to death. Due to his display of patriotism in his defense speeches, he was widely seen across the country as a true son of Ghana, and was nicknamed Junior Jesus for his initials "JJ". Before he could be executed, another group of junior officers within the Ghana Army broke Rawlings out of prison and demanded that he lead the 4 June uprising that had engulfed the nation. Major Boakye-Djan did not lead the young officers and ranks who broke JJ out of jail.