Nigeria-Ghana: Obasanjo makes revelations about Jerry Rawlings, Sani Abacha

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has expressed sadness over the death of Jerry Rawlings.

The ex-President of Ghana passed away on Thursday.

In his letter, Obasanjo said Rawlings will be missed for his exemplary leadership.

Obasanjo narrated how the deceased intervened when he was targeted by the regime of Gen. Sani Abacha.

The former Head of State recalled that Rawlings played a key role in furthering the actualization of the objectives of the Africa Leadership Forum (ALF).

Obj, as fondly called, founded the NGO in 1988 to develop leadership capacities in the continent to increase productivity of major actors in government, parliament, business and civil society.

Obasanjo revealed that Rawlings “supported and accommodated the organisation and its staff during the period of the relocation of the organisation’s base to Ghana because Abacha wanted to have them destroyed just immediately after he got me arrested and imprisoned on a trumped-up charge of coup plotting in 1995.”

The Owu-born elder statesman stressed that the Rawlings’ generous assistance to ALF and its staff “makes me forever indebted to him”

The former Nigerian leader said he found in Rawlings a reliable friend, ally and confidant who was passionate about peace, security and governance issues in Africa.