Rawlings on June 4th (Statement)

Former President Rawlings

STATEMENT BY FLT. LT. (Rtd.) JERRY JOHN RAWLINGS ON THE OCCASION OF THE 30TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE JUNE 4 UPRISING
Fellow Ghanaians, there is no doubt most Ghanaians are aware that something significant happened in this country thirty years ago. But there is a great deal of confusion about what happened on June 4, 1979 and why it happened.
This is not surprising, since the majority of today’s Ghanaians were either too young to know what was happening or were not even born. And so they have had to depend on what they were told and who told them.
Countrymen and women, thirty years ago when I was only in my thirties and for a couple of decades thereafter, a lot of our people used to refer to me as the “Old Man”.
Even though I found this rather disconcerting, I realised that it was a mark of confidence.
Today, I think that I am qualified by both age and experience to speak as a genuine Old Man who has had time to reflect and observe, yet who still has a passion for social justice and truly meaningful democracy.
Ladies and gentlemen, over the past few weeks, the media – press, radio and television – has been full of debate about whether or not June 4 should be celebrated as a Public Holiday.
In one sense, I find this debate rather pointless, because whether or not it is a Public Holiday; those who are able to comprehend its significance will certainly mark the occasion.
Regardless of whether or not June 4 is celebrated as a Public Holiday, its significance cannot be denied or ignored.
On the other hand, I am dismayed by some of the shallow arguments put forward by those who would want to erase this significant event from our history. How can we learn from our past, if we keep erasing things and pretending that such significant events never occurred?
They say it is wrong to glorify a coup d’état. But it was not a coup d’état. It was an uprising from the heart of the people against years of elitism, nepotism and greed.
Let me make some comparisons.
Each year the French celebrate 14 July and sing their national anthem, the Marselliense.
Today, France is a respectable democracy in the comity of nations, yet their National Day commemorates an event of mob violence and anger – the storming of the Bastille – and the subsequent slaughter on the guillotine of many thousands perceived to be part of the rich and oppressive aristocracy.
The French sing their Marselliense with pride, yet the words of their national anthem speak of raising the blood-soaked banner and letting the blood of the enemies of the people water the fields of the peasant farmers.
Does this mean that the French of today are glorifying violence and bloodshed?
Countrymen and women, to take another example – the American Revolution. A people oppressed by a colonial government rose up, armed themselves and demanded the right to control their own destiny. There was violence and bloodshed on both sides. Today Americans celebrate 4th July with picnics and fireworks, not to glorify the violent overthrow of governments but to mark a turning point in their history.
So what do the French and the American Revolutions have in common? In both cases, the common people had lost trust in those who governed them and exploited them. And in both cases those in authority were deaf to the concerns of the common people.
In both cases, the inevitable happened, at great cost to all sides. Yet the cost, however great, and despite innocent casualties along the way, was far less than the gain of the establishment of a fundamental principle that “We the people” have both the right to be part of the decision making process and the obligation to uphold the principles of democracy and respect for the fundamentals of law and order. So these days are remembered in order that people will remember these turning points.
Fellow Ghanaians, it is not for me to advocate whether or not June 4 should be a public holiday. All that I am saying is that it was a turning point in our history. I was locked up with a handful of my colleagues on charges of mutiny pending the outcome of the military trial. We wanted to bring to the attention of the military top brass the need to purge the military of the corruption, which had become entrenched, before the 1979 elections took place.
The events of June 4 led our release from prison. June 4 unleashed a whirlwind of anger, not only in the military, but also in civil society, sending a clear message to the ‘governing class’ that unless they realise that their authority rests on their sense of service to the people with sincerity and integrity, the people, however tolerant and long-suffering, will sooner or later rise up to demand their rights.
On the negative side, June 4 brought about some injustices perpetrated by anger and a desire for revenge. Thankfully, we were able to curb these destructive tendencies including the prosecution of the errant ones, hold national elections and hand over to a new elected government in just over three months. But at the handing over ceremony, I prayed that the incoming government had learned a lesson from those three turbulent months.
On the positive side, hundreds of thousands of Ghanaians who had previously felt like helpless spectators in the affairs of their homeland, awakened to a new sense of responsibility and the knowledge that they could make a difference, whether at the local, regional or national level, in bringing to light social injustices and, more importantly, by shouldering their share of responsibility in creating a better Ghana. True participatory grassroots democracy had taken seed.
Countrymen and women many of the things which today we take for granted such as the consensus by all parties (even those who agree in order to court approval of the international community but with little commitment to principle) that the rights of the disadvantaged must be the focus of governance, had their origin in June 4.
Unfortunately since the advent of the 4th Republic in 1992 a sense of apathy has once again been created because politicians have managed to create an impression that they are doing the electorate a favour by allowing them to vote once every four years. Any little thing, which goes wrong in a neighbourhood results in a call on government (“aban”, a distant power) to do something, when the citizens of that area could hold their local representatives to book. The multi party system takes away some of the weight of the local representatives. The interests of the ruling party tend to override the needs of the community, which should not be the case.
This is why I ask Ghanaians to remember June 4 and the courage and confidence which it gave to our people.
Fellow Ghanaians, I founded the National Democratic Congress in 1992. Today after an eight-year absence the NDC is back in power due primarily to the hunger of the people for change.
Ghanaians across the country could no longer endure the pain of the NPP government, which had turned the country almost into pre-1979 days, practising elitism, nepotism, corruption and all the ills you could think of. The national debt incurred during the Kufuor era was greater than the cumulated debt from Independence till 2000 when I left office.
Today we can heave a sigh of relief that the NPP is in the backyard. But we have a huge responsibility as the party in power to not to only espouse our social democratic principles but to practice it.
The politics of the last eight years distanced the leadership from the people to such an extent that the voice of the people was lost and power and wealth belonged to a select few.
How do we turn this around? How do we revert to the ideals of June 4, 1979 and December 31, 1981?
Ladies and gentlemen we need not look far. The structures are already in place but those who preached democracy but practiced the opposite ignored them. The institution of the District Assembly programme during my tenure as President between 1992 and 2000 was the first step towards inclusive governance where the voice of the people was heard through the lowliest unit committees and highest national assemblies.
It is true that by electing a President the voter expects him to select his lieutenants and take control of the reins of government but it is imperative that leadership is not alienated from the people.
As a social democratic party the NDC has an obligation to partner the people for national development. Leadership is true leadership when the people who elected you into power feel that are involved in the decision making process and we have a responsibility to ensure that.
June 4 was borne out of a refusal by our leaders, elected or unelected to consider the voice of the ordinary folk.
Today we have once again inherited a level of decadence that needs to be rectified with haste before the people lose touch with us. The last election was a direct message that the people cannot be taken for a ride.
Aside the looting of national resources and the abuse of office by the NPP, various national institutions such as the military were dismembered and the sense of value, discipline and integrity of the institutions lost. We cannot overlook the damage that was caused within all the security agencies. Some effort, I believe has already gone into bringing some sanity back into these institutions. We cannot rest on our oars as we bring sanity and discipline into these institutions and into public life in general.
When we talk about June 4 our emphasis should always be on our national motto of Freedom and Justice. Neither one can truly exist without the other and cannot be taken for granted in our current dispensation.
Our people need a sense of confidence that the socio-economic development of this country is being tackled with a sense of equity and an understanding that we all have to share in the national cake.
The world is currently in a recession with most so-called developed countries reeling under the global economic downturn, companies going into administration and governments feeling the pinch.
When the people feel the pinch of financial hardship they expect their leaders to also exhibit clear signs of probity and accountability. In the United Kingdom the expenses of Members of Parliament have come under the microscope with embarrassing exposures. Members of our party who are in parliament and other leadership positions need to thread carefully as they manage national resources on our behalf. We cannot afford to live ostentatious lifestyles while the economy is in tatters and many cannot make ends meet.
Ghana is an import based economy, which is directly affected by the global economic crises leading to pressures on the cedi, limited financing for trade and projects and stiffer criteria for funding. All the afore-mentioned, coupled with increased trade barriers by the major economic powers mean we have to manage our country’s economic destiny with tact.
We are currently going through the process of producing oil on a commercial basis. God willing this will serve as major developmental take-off for Ghana at a time when cocoa and gold no longer serve as the hen that lays the golden egg. The oil discovery comes with its own attendant problems and we have to be wary of oil multi-nationals committing us to contracts that delay the benefits of this national resource for decades.
A thorough reassessment of all contracts signed with international oil companies and a complete disclosure of the benefits to the country is what the people want. Sale of lands within the oil ‘catchment’ area has to be regulated and policy instituted to ensure that indigenes within these areas gain meaningful employment and receive requisite training so they can participate in ongoing oil extraction projects.
I am happy the chiefs of the Western Region have suspended the sale of lands and are rather clamouring for equity share. This matter I believe will be reviewed by government but it goes to show that our people are waking up to their responsibility and recognising that total sale of our assets leads us eventually into modern day slavery.
It is 30 years since Ghanaians took their destiny into their own hands and decided to bring permanent change. We have had our pitfalls but we need to commend ourselves for the political stability, which has come about largely due to the developments that took place during the PNDC era and which culminated in the advent of the Fourth Republic.
The global economic climate means that we do not live on an island and need to work continually with many global partners including the United States. Obama’s election could not have come at a better time. Obama may seek to change so many things about this world but we know that is a tall order. What is important is that we know he can change the way America thinks. The Republican agenda has damaged America’s image and in Ghana has not exhibited a relationship based on a win win basis.
Ladies and gentlemen, Ghana is looking to work with the Obama administration in a democratic dispensation in which we seek to develop and grow with an air of equity. The global health and environmental issues are matters in which we expect America to take the lead and provide tangible and sizeable support. In the same manner we would expect that Obama would also look to creating a fund for Africa – a fund that will help both business and government. Africa expects nothing less from the United States and we pray that Barrack Obama will have the vision to implement these noble ideas.
One of the major preoccupations during my presidency and beyond was the health of our people. During my tenure Buruli ulcer was identified and national resources were pooled to eradicate. In November of 2000 I launched the National Anti-malaria programme. At the time the social and economic cost of malaria to Ghana’s GDP was five per cent. I also worked extensively on malaria post 2000 as a United Nations Eminent Person on Volunteerism but a lot still needs to be done.
A recent report indicates that malaria is Africa’s biggest killer, causing economic losses of $12 billion per year and slowing the continent’s economic growth by 1.3 per cent per annum. The NPP received $100 million in 2006/7 to fight malaria and despite that the situation worsened.
Contrary to statements that we have excellent waste management machinery in place, our towns and cities are still engulfed in filth, stagnant waters abound and our waterways are all but vessels for the mosquito and other diseases.
Government has to play its role by ensuring a competent decentralisation of the waste management structure instead of the current status quo, which is more of a political public relations exercise than a conscious effort to improve sanitation in our country.
As a people we have a responsibility to educate each other on the benefits of living in a clean environment. It is not uncommon to see people who live in clean homes eat food and throw the wrappings from the windows of their cars. It is as if the mosquito discriminates when it is biting.
Ladies and gentlemen, I am insisting on keeping our environment clean because the mosquito is increasingly becoming resistant to existing drugs, meaning preventing the development of the mosquito is our best bet as far as eradicating malaria is concerned. We do not need to sit in our homes and assume the responsibility of cleaning the gutter across the road belongs to Zoom Lion or whatever they call themselves.
Eradicating malaria has been a campaign that has lasted decades but we cannot relent in our efforts, as the disease does not discriminate. Malaria is perhaps a message to us to take our general hygiene seriously and that victory has to be won.
Ladies and gentlemen, today’s celebration should not be forgotten as you leave this venue. You should all return to your homes with a responsibility to sow proper seeds of change. Yes we worked hard to vote for change but that change is meaningless if we do not keep a watchful eye on those we have tasked to lead that change and be responsible citizens ourselves.
We have to keep our eyes open and expose wrongdoings in all facets of our national fabric. We need to speak out against any forms of ostentation that negates the very ideals of the NDC and we need to exercise a high sense of patriotism that will take this country forward in the right direction.
Our leaders owe it a duty to the citizenry to use their positions with respect for the people who elected them into office. Regardless of which party you belong to, your duty to Ghana must always supersede political expediency.
The battle is not over, comrades. We have to fight until every Ghanaian lives in economically sustainable conditions, devoid of disease, abuse, corruption, poverty and oppression.
Thank you.
Signed: Kofi Adams