A certain British merchant Bank had a representative in Ghana, who had for some time been trying to get some concessions from the government. Every time he went to visit the President, there was a junior officer in the Air Force sitting in the corridor outside, with a black "security" briefcase on his lap. The Merchant Bank rep would always stop and chat with the officer before and after visiting the President. Then there was a coup, and a new government. The Merchant Banker got a phone call a week or so later and was told to visit the new President. It was the junior officer who had sat outside in the corridor - Flight Lieutenant Jerry Rawlings. He offered the banker all the concessions that he wanted - simply because he had been decent enough to talk to him when he was sitting in the corridor.