Rawlings with Liberian Refugees: A Tribute to Former President of Ghana

By: Samuel G. Dweh: former Ghana’s Liberian Refugee (1990-2001)/ Writer & Author/ Development Journalist/President—Liberia Association of Writers (LAW) Contacts: (+231)  (0)886618906/776583266/samuelosophy@yahoo.com/samuelosophy1@gmail.com |

In the 1990s, there was one Jerry John Rawlings

A Ghanaian with a heart for Liberian refugees

His plan supported by the ruling National Democratic Congress

Whose other members believed in the Standard Bearer’s progress

With Presidential power

He rescued endangered Liberians with no political power

Through another transporter named Tano River

For wishing-to-flee Liberians not to die in the river

“Hurry, get onboard Tano River for safety!”

Said a Ghanaian ECOMOG soldier, urging climbing Liberians to move swiftly

When the skyline of Liberia was disappearing from the voyagers’ sights

A feeling of being-torn-away-from-Mama Liberia could be felts in the people’s sighs

“Thank God we’re at a safe seaport!”

Shouted one of the asylum seekers at the Tema Port

In the horizon was a guarding image of Jerry John Rawlings

Smiling, hands stretched towards his refugees

“Akwaba, welcome, to Ghana led by Rawlings”

A smiling government’s representative said to gathered refugees

Minutes later foods and medicines started rolling in

From Ghana’s dieticians and medics called in

These were parts of the package called Ghanaian Hospitality

Abundantly supplied to war survivors yearning for empathy

Many of the starving guests went for the wakye

The rice-cooked-with-beans to keep the intense hunger in check

“Time to leave for Buduburam—the refugee camp!” message came out for the refugees

Who were still enjoying the spiritually protective presence of President Jerry John Rawlings

The journey introduced the guests to better streets

Which were far better than Liberia’s streets

They also saw story buildings

That far superior to Liberia’s buildings

“I wish Liberia were beautiful like this before the war!”

Reacted a refugee who took part in the destructive war

Moving through a Town named Kasoa

Some of the refugees remembered a Liberian Town named Weasua

A notice board along the road said, “Welcome to Buduburam!”

Which made some refugees to imagine waiting-to-be-eaten ram

Gomoa/Awutu Region hosted the refugee community

Remote than each Liberian’s community

No electricity, no pipe-channeled water—just houses

Yet the inhabitants believed President Rawlings to provide the hoses

When refugees became smelly, due to acute water scarcity

Chief Host J.J. Rawlings provided a water-tanker alternative

And for the disposal of the dead guests’ corpses

The Presidential host pointed to place we later named ‘Area Z’

When all the guests regained mental normalcy, many resumed their criminal games

For Which Chief host Rawlings took some of the blames

But Ghana Police responded with raids

Yet Chief Host Rawlings told his guest not to be afraid

Even though the raids, into refugees’ homes, caused flight of refugees’ monies and jewelries

To which there was no host government’s jury

One day, President J.J. Rawlings showed his hosts humility-based service-ship

By diving into a sea near a ship

To repair a damaged oil pipe spilling out another of Ghana’s wealth

Which could affect his country’s economic health

Though J.J. Rawlings presidential tenure ended in two-thousand (2000)

His pro-refugees presence was still all over Ghana’s societal sand

On J.J. Rawlings’ pro-refugee gesture, some Liberians opted for eternal stay on a refugee camp

Forgetting an ancestral home under the control of revolutionary champ

On Thursday, November 12, 2020

I was shocked to the news coming from a media entity

A voice said, “Jerry John Rawlings, former President of Ghana, died at seventy-three!”

My heart vibrated like a storm-controlled tree.

Adieu, my first Presidential host in Ghana!

My your spirit continue guarding my compatriots living permanently in Ghana.