Watch the purported video of JJ Rawlings flying an aircraft under the Adomi Bridge

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Makay
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Watch the purported video showing JJ Rawlings flying an aircraft under the Adomi Bridge

A widely purported video claiming to be a video of the late former President Jerry John Rawlings flying an aircraft under the Adomi Bridge during its early construction has resurfaced.

In the viral video shared, an aircraft was flown under a bridge.

However,  checks by ghana.dubawa.org some years ago revealed the footage shows aerobatic pilot Jurgis Kairys performing the daring manoeuvre beneath a bridge in Kaunas, Lithuania, in the year 2000.

The video has once again resurfaced after a former Chief of Air Staff, retired Air Commodore K. K. Pumpuni, has deflated long-standing assertions that the late Jerry John Rawlings once flew an aircraft under the Adomi Bridge.

According to the former Chief of Air Staff, he was in charge of operations of the Air Force, and nothing like that happened, adding that if Rawlings had indeed flown under the Adomi Bridge, he would have court-martialled him.

Speaking in an interview with  Kafui Dey shared on X on Monday, March 9, 2026, the retired Air Commodore stated, “There was a claim that Rawlings flew under the Adomi Bridge, and I said no, he didn’t. I was in charge of the operations of the Air Force, and nothing like that happened. If it had happened, we would have court-martialled him. Nothing like that ever happened”.

“There are certain issues surrounding it, and an aircraft cannot just fly under the bridge over the water like that. I made that comment, and he heard it, and he wasn’t too happy about it. He felt I should have kept quiet, but I said no. I was asked a question, so I couldn’t have kept quiet”.

“If I had kept quiet, it would have meant I was endorsing the claim. But it wasn’t true, and you also know it’s not true. Jerry had a small problem with me after that incident, so I’ve not been able to publish my book,” he added.

Some Ghanaians reacting to Air Commodore K.K. Pumpuni(rtd) revelation stated, “Why are we trying to destroy all our stories? It started from who brought cocoa to Ghana, and now this, but we don’t question the stories of the whiteman. WHY?”.

“Why did he not say this when man was alive. Only a bloody liar waits for someone to die before he/she says something about the dead”, a netizen added.

“Finally, the truth is out. Which kind of aircraft did he use back then? It’s so funny that some jons believe this lie. I always say most of our history was distorted under the PNDC/ ndc regime under JJ. And it has affected the adults of today,  cos that was what they were told”, a netizen added.

In related news, Retired Major General Kwamina Sam has revealed that the late former President Jerry John Rawlings would not have joined the army if not for the Air Force Commander’s personal decision.

According to Retired Major General Jerry John Rawlings, at the time failed his examinations and should have been disqualified, but the Air Force Commander took a personal decision to keep him as he was a good pilot.

Retired Major General explained that the commanders saw Rawlings as a nice chap whom they could handle, but it was to their own peril.

Speaking with Kafui Dey in a video shared on Facebook, Retired Major General Kwamina Sam explained, “June 4th, if anybody had told me it was coming, I wouldn’t have believed it. I just finished my service in Kumasi as commander and moved to Accra as Chief of Staff. I was then a Brigadier General”. 

According to the former Chief of the Defence Staff of the Ghana Armed Forces, he never met Rawlings at Achimota School, but added that he was aware of him.

“In fact, he always looked crafy to me. It was the Air Force Commander’s personal decision, despite the fact that he wasn’t passing his exams, that he was a good pilot and should be kept. If the rules had been applied, Rawlings wouldn’t have been in the service. They all thought he was a nice chap; they could handle him, to their peril,” he added.

Major General (rtd) Sam also stressed that some top military officers were needlessly and unwarrantably killed when Rawlings took over the country.

He recounted that Amedume’s crime was that he had taken an Armed Forces loan to buy a house, revealing that if that was his crime, he was also guilty.

Watch the video below: