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| Fl.Lt Jerry John Rawlings |
Over the last few weeks and especially around the week
of the celebration of the so-called June 4 Revolution of 1979, many political
commentators have warned that history could repeat itself.
Mr Jerry John Rawlings the foremost beneficiary of the
June 4 uprising of junior army officers says that its core values of probity,
accountability and transparency have been abandoned by his own party.
He insists that only a return to those values can save
the National Democratic Congress (NDC) from total collapse.
Even though Mr Rawlings appears to be wishing for a
return of June 4, it is not clear if he can meet the standards set by him and
his friends in 1979.
If Mr Rawlings is to be judged by the same standard
today, where will he stand?
Mr Rawlings is not alone in the pouring out of
lamentations of regret and wishes for social and political upheavals that may
punish an undisciplined elite.
Honourable Alban Bagbin, Second Deputy Speaker of
Parliament was also at it when he complained about the excesses of the elite
and warned that it could lead to another eruption on the political landscape.
He spoke eloquently about injustice in all its
manifestations and its political and social consequences.
In short hand, Bagbin is warning that there could be
another June 4 uprising if the elite in society do not pursue the ends of
social justice.
Comrade Koku Anyidoho, Deputy General Secretary of the
National Democratic Congress (NDC) has been even more direct.
Although he did not speak about the so -called June 4
revolution, many commentators made no distinction between what he said and what
had been said by Mr Rawlings and others.
Interestingly, nobody has clearly defined what June 4 is.
Whiles Jerry Rawlings and others have described the event as a revolution,
Major Boakye Djan, spokesperson of the Army Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC)
and other associates have seen June 4 as an uprising.
There are others still who see what happened on June 4,
1979 as just another of the many military coups which have plagued Ghana.
What really happened
on June 4, 1979?
Well a group of disgruntled military officers took
advantage of mass agitations organised mainly by students and professional
groups and overthrew the Supreme Military Council (SMC) then chaired by General
F. W Akuffo; what followed was simply a nightmare.
People were accused of corruption, they were not given
fair trails and some of them were executed by firing squad while others received
very long prison sentences.
People described as “enemies of the revolution” were
tortured and some had their businesses destroyed.
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| Jerry John and wife Nana Konadu, a kingpin in the loot of state resources |
Shops of Lebanese businessmen were looted by indiscipline
soldiers and Mr Rawlings blamed all the problems of Ghana on “crooked” Lebanese
businessmen and their local collaborators.
June 4 did not bring about any fundamental changes in
the Ghanaian society and the battle against corruption was lost.
Today, Mr Rawlings stands accused of some of the
wrongdoings which led to the June 4 uprising.
At the very least his wife bought state enterprises and
grabbed state lands in the name of the NGO she set up with the friends, the 31st
December Women’s Movement.
Who wants another June 4?
Editorial
A JOKE?
Calls for another June 4 uprising must be a real joke.
Who wants another June 4 which changed nothing except
replacing one class of elite with just another one in military boots and fatigues?
Yes it is okay for Mr Jerry John Rawlings to be feeling
nostalgic. After all in those days he was answerable to no one and he and his
friends could decide who should live and who should die.
The problem however is that the people of Ghana are no
longer ready to submit to the dictation of the military play boy who desires to
hold the country to ransom forever.
What the people of Ghana really want is a government
which truly identifies with the interests and aspirations of the working people
and is ready to transfer the ownership of Ghanaian resources to the people.
The June 4 merry –go-round is over and will not be
repeated.
Local News:
AFRICAN VOICES FOR
PALESTINE; JACKIE ANKRAH IS IN
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| Jackie Ankrah |
By Nicholas Kwame
One of the sweetest voices in Ghana belongs to Jackie
Ankrah, a musician and the daughter of a former Ghanaian Head of State, Lt.
General J.A. Ankrah.
Jackie is very comfortable with different kinds of music
ranging from purely traditional through highlife to jazz.
Sources close to her say that she is working very hard
and would soon launch an earth shaking album.
Jackie is not just a beautiful woman with a very sweet
voice. She also has a conscience and is deeply worried about the violations of
the rights of people all over the world.
It is for this reason that she has decided to
participate in the musical concert dubbed “African Voices for Palestine” which
will take place at the National Theatre in Accra on Friday, July 14, 2017.
She will be amongst the best in Africa including the
music maestro, Amandzeba, Knii Lante Blankson, Kwabena Kwabena, Gyedu Blay-Ambolley,
Rocky Dawuni, Blakk Rasta, Miata Fahnbuleh, Bessa Simons and many others.
The event was initiated by Amandzeba and is sponsored by
the Palestine Solidarity Campaign (Ghana).
Organisers say they are inviting leaders of all Ghanaian
political parties, members of the diplomatic corps, members of Parliament,
Ministers of state and activists of youth and students’ movements as well as
leaders of the gender movement and trade unions.
The struggle to end apartheid in South Africa was
greatly helped by musical concerts across the globe.
The world famous Bob Marley and the Wailers performed in
Zimbabwe to herald the country’s independence.
Amandzeba says the concert is designed primarily to
expose the harsh conditions of Palestinians living under Israeli colonial
occupation.
