The former Ghanaian leader, Mr. Jerry John Rawlings has died at the age of 73.According to local media reports, Rawlings died on Thursday at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, Accra, where he was on admission for undisclosed ailment.

He came to limelight as the Head of State of Ghana from December 1981 to December 1992, through a military coup.

Mr. Rawlings was the first president of the Fourth Republic of Ghana from 1993 to 2001.

Born on June 22, 1947, in Accra, Gold Coast, the former air force officer and politician first, had buried his mother a few weeks ago.

Meanwhile, the presidential candidate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr. John Mahama, has announced the suspension of its campaigns in honour of Mr. Rawlings, who was the founder of the party.