John Jerry Rawlings doesn’t need an introduction to Ghanaians. All over Africa too, the Air Force lieutenant who took power in his first military coup in 1979, followed his second coup in 1981, have a lot of admirers but not everything about Rawlings is known even in his native Ghana.

When Rawlings was in power, nearly every year of his rule was marked by a coup attempt. In 1985, there was another attempt at a coup against Jerry Rolling, headed by Major Courage Quashigah. Accompanied by some of his guards Rawlings went to the Bulgarian Embassy and asked for political asylum.

His initial plan at the Bulgarian Embassy was to spend some time there while his supporters crushed the coup, therefore, he moved his family to an unknown destination and knowing that they were safe, he went to the embassy.

I saw Rawlings personally when his armour car pulled in the front of our school (Bishop Boys Middle School) at Bubiashie. A handsome tall lanky figure with full of smiles. In turn, all of us close to his tank stretched out our hands to shake him.

I believe in Europe, I get more information about African presidents than journalists at home. Since many Europeans work close with African leaders, export and import offices pertaining to Ghanaian commodities, I have been called many times on the phone and receiving documents over malpractices, over-invoice and corruption in Africa.

I have refused to publish many of the documents pertaining to African leaders because Europe and America cover up crimes they commit in Africa, while they want African journalists, such as Anas Amereyaw Anas, to disgrace African leaders.

As Rawlings story unfolds: Major Quashigah and several other conspirators were sentenced and imprisoned, and later some were found hanged in their cells. According to the diplomatic rules, the embassy is the territory of another state.

When someone requests asylum, the mission officers must either accept or refused the request, that is after asking permission from the Bulgarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Read more: https://www.modernghana.com/news/896051/did-rawlings-request-for-political-asylum-at-the-bulgarian.html

Photo: Former Ghanaian leader, John Jerry Rawlings