‘We’ve been thrown off - Rawlings' family in Keta speaks about his death

Correspondence from the Volta Region:

The family of Former President, Jerry John Rawlings in the Volta Region, are devastated and are still yet to come to terms with the demise of the late statesman following his sudden death.

Mr. Rawlings whose mother was an Ewe from the Volta Region established good grounds in the region and visited the area occasionally.

The most recent appearance he made was for the burial of his late mother, Victoria Agbotui who passed away on September 24, 2020.

According to family members, he was scheduled to visit the family house again after 40 days to complete the final funeral rites of his mother but was unfortunately taken by the icy hands of death.

Speaking to GhanaWeb in an interview, the family head, Mr. Augustine Kwablavi Agbodzakli who is a direct cousin to the late former president revealed that the news of J.J Rawlings’ death was shocking especially because it was merely weeks ago they were with him.

“I saw him just two weeks ago. After the funeral of his mother, he came back again and we all sat down as a family to speak to him and we also told him what we had. He was also scheduled to be among us for the forty (40) days final funeral rituals for his deceased mother,” Mr. Agbodzakli said.

The whole family has been thrown off by the tragic event, he added.

“What happened now has made all of us confused because we were not expecting it. We don’t even understand it. His mother’s forty days final funeral rites are not even due before this happened. It is a sad day for the entire family.”



The house which is located at Dzelukope in the Keta Municipality of the Volta Region serves as a family house for the Agbotuis, Tamekloes, and the Nyahos.

At the time GhanaWeb Volta Regional Correspondent, Peter Atsu Ahianyo visited the house on Friday, four persons including the Agbotui family head were seated in the nicely decorated house singing a traditional dirge song with about five women mourning at the forecourt of the house.

The atmosphere and the entire Dzelukope was still.