Bold claim: Rawlings might never have become a soldier if a vintage recruitment decision hadn’t slipped through the cracks. That’s the line echoed by a former Ghanaian CDS, Maj. Gen. (rtd) Edwin Kwamina Sam, who says the late Jerry John Rawlings only joined the army because the Air Force Commander at the time chose to overlook exam shortcomings in favor of Rawlings’ piloting potential.
Sam argues that Rawlings failed his exams and technically would have been disqualified under proper hiring rules. He explains the Air Force Commander’s rationale: Rawlings was a skilled pilot, so he was kept in, despite not meeting standard exam requirements. According to Sam, the army leadership bore the consequences for that discretion in the years that followed.
“From my perspective, he always looked up to me. The Air Force Commander made the personal decision to retain him, despite his struggle with exams, simply because he was a good pilot,” he stated.
Sam also contends that several senior officers were unjustly targeted or killed after Rawlings seized control of the country. He recalls debates over various cases, such as Amedume, who allegedly faced punishment for taking an Armed Forces loan to buy a house, and a similar loan taken by Sam himself for his own house. He questions the justification behind the execution of Yaw Boakye over a 4,000 cedi loan, asking, “Why execute someone for such a sum?”
It’s important to note that Rawlings himself denied involvement in the soldiers’ deaths.
For further context, you can explore a background piece titled Black Wednesday: How Z-9 helicopter crashed, as detailed by an investigative team at GhanaWeb. Watch the accompanying video of Sam’s remarks linked in the original material.
If you’re curious about related financial insights, there are also viewpoints on understanding Ghana’s stock market and investing basics, as featured by BizTech. And one interview excerpt notes a prominent figure who correctly forecast Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia’s NPP flagbearer win, which you can also view in the referenced GhanaWeb content.
