Five years after the passing of former President Jerry John Rawlings, his memory has been honoured in a special way by United Nigeria Airlines, which named one of its aircraft after him.
The aircraft, christened J.J. Rawlings… The legend lives on, made its maiden flight from Abuja to Accra on Monday morning, marking the airline’s first official service into Ghana.
On board the inaugural flight were Ghana’s Ambassador to Nigeria, Baba Jamal, the airline’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Chief Professor Obiora Okonkwo, senior Nigerian aviation officials, and other dignitaries.
They were received at Kotoka International Airport by a representative of the Rawlings family, former Minister and Member of Parliament Fritz Baffour, who joined Chief Professor Okonkwo to unveil the name of the aircraft.
Speaking at the formal ceremony held at Terminal Three, Gate C8, the Minister for Sports and Recreation, Kofi Adams, expressed appreciation to United Nigeria Airlines for the gesture, describing it as a powerful reminder of Rawlings’ enduring influence.
He recalled the late President’s words that he preferred to “live in the hearts of men” rather than have his name on monuments or streets. “Today, that wish has been fulfilled,” the minister said. “President Rawlings lives in the hearts of men, and even beyond Ghana he continues to be recognised. When we say the legend lives on, this is what we mean.”
Mr. Adams also reflected on Rawlings’ passion for flying, linking it to his commitment to national development. He recounted how the former leader’s aerial journeys across the country inspired the rural electrification project after he noticed the contrast between brightly lit cities and dark rural areas.
Representing the Rawlings family, Fritz Baffour thanked United Nigeria Airlines for the honour, saying it would be remembered for generations. “Ghana and Nigeria share deep ties, and this gesture brings us even closer,” he said. “When Ghana and Nigeria come together, no one can stand us. Together, we are unstoppable.”
Chief Professor Okonkwo expressed condolences to the family following the recent passing of former First Lady Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings and called for a minute’s silence in her honour. He explained that the idea to name an aircraft after Rawlings had been discussed as part of events marking the fifth anniversary of his death.
He pledged that United Nigeria Airlines would uphold the values of excellence and service that the late President represented and work to strengthen aviation links across West Africa.
As the J.J. Rawlings aircraft stood on the tarmac in Accra, its name gleaming under the morning sun, it served as a fitting symbol of a man whose legacy, like flight itself, continues to rise beyond borders.
