JJ Rawlings (R) handed over power to Dr Limann in a transition ceremony in 1979
An old video has resurfaced showing the period when the late former President Jerry John Rawlings handed over power peacefully to the late former President Dr Hilla Limann in 1979.
This may be familiar to those who lived during that era; however, as time passes, many generations born afterward will see it as something entirely new.
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The video shows the late Rawlings delivering a speech to a gathering of Ghanaians, witnessing what has now become a historic moment.
The two former leaders exchanged a handshake, symbolising a peaceful transition.
In his speech, Rawlings stated that his brief time in government had shown how public office is often used by leaders to amass wealth, to the detriment of the state.
“… Our short stay in power have demonstrated openly what many people had only suspected before, namely that the holding of office in government in this country had in almost all cases been used to plunder the wealth of the nation. Ghana is just looking up to you,” he said.
The late former President Rawlings, who had led a military government following the 1979 coup, handed over power to Hilla Limann, who was democratically elected as president on the ticket of the People’s National Party.
Limann enjoyed strong support among followers of former Ghanaian President Kwame Nkrumah.
He contested the elections following the disqualification of Alhaji Imoru Egala by the then-ruling Supreme Military Council and won 62% of the popular vote in the second round.
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Dr Limann assumed office as president on September 24, 1979, championing democratic values and Pan-Africanism. His presidency was cut short when Rawlings deposed him in a coup on December 31, 1981, making him the only president of Ghana’s Third Republic.
Watch the video below:
MAG/AE
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