President Rawlings' June 4 Speech

ADDRESS BY FLT LT JERRY JOHN RAWLINGS, FORMER PRESIDENT AND CHAIRMAN OF THE
ERSTWHILE ARMED FORCES REVOLUTIONARY COUNCIL AT THE 32ND ANNIVERSARY
CELEBRATION OF THE JUNE 4TH UPRISING ­ JUBILEE PARK, KUMASI

June 4th 1979 was the day of very few words. It was a very liberating day.
It was another moment of truth in the history of our nation. It was about
the fourth moment of truth since our independence. Come July 8th we will
have to face another moment of truth.

June 4th was a day the human spirit decided enough was enough. It was a
period the spirit of the nation came alive and decided enough was enough. No
man was born to slave for another. Leadership did not give the right to rule
with impunity. Corruption was taught a lesson. The misuse and abuses of the
cohesive machinery of the state was turned against the abusers.
As corrupt as the Kufuor administration was, so also has this leadership
been unmatched in crass behaviour.
June 4th is a day we take inspiration from. June 4th demonstrated to all of
us the need to respect human values.
We have strayed away from those cherished human values. Too many things are
going wrong. Too many things that went wrong during the Kufuor regime have
still not been rectified.
The human rights violations and ethnic persecutions that should have been
investigated and dealt with. The assassinations, plots and plans that should
also have been investigated have all been left unattended to.
This government¹s refusal to undo the injustices of the past will only lead
to perpetuation of socio-economic injustice in Ghana.
Ladies and gentlemen: There are times when people find it easier and more
comfortable living with a misconception than facing the uncomfortable truth.
A good number of people in this government and the leadership of the party
would rather lose the 2012 national election to the NPP than for the NDC to
remain in power with a new leadership that will demand socio-economic
justice, probity and accountability right to the letter.
The timid and sometimes cowardly behaviour of some of the NDC leadership was
evident throughout the NPP regime but we find it convenient to make
ourselves believe that timid behaviour never existed.
That pattern of behaviour has become even more visible since the NDC came
back into office. And yet after almost two and half years some of us still
cannot open our eyes to the reality of what is going on. Are we not drifting
aimlessly free with the NPP still pretty much in control?
Our nervousness about the future is still blinding us to the decay that may
rather cost us the 2012 elections. Certain personalities in the leadership
of this government who were spared from NPP¹s persecution and have jumped
into the driving seat of the government have also not only decided to leave
all the injustices intact, but have gone beyond it to dip their hands and
feet into resources that would make them financial creators and breakers of
the political will and power of the people. And this is all happening at the
expense of stable, noble, human values.
Ladies and gentlemen: There are too many mean spirited things going on that
I don¹t want to waste time talking about now. The indecent distortions that
have been sown into our party are alien to us. The PNDC/NDC believed and
showed respect and trust for one another. Today it is not only appointees
who are being held to ransom; our people are also being held to ransom;
their economic and social insecurity is being taken advantage of while
intimidating with threats and money. We are a party that used to believe in
the rights and convictions of the individual. What has happened to our
values?
If we truly believe that my sincere and justified criticism of a man I have
stood by through the most politically trying and turbulent times was simply
because I wanted Nana Konadu Agyeman in power, then the principled political
public service for the past twenty years or so has been lost on you. Then
fellow countrymen and women and I suggest you tell your delegates to defy
their conscience.
That day those of us who truly love the NDC may step out hopefully free of
our burdens and certainly with our God blessed principles and dignity
intact.
We are fighting first and foremost for the sanctity of principles without
which a President is nothing.
Ladies and gentlemen, Nana Konadu Agyeman will win. But assuming she were to
lose the 76% rating as some elements in government are claiming, she would
have stood up to be counted amongst those who accepted the call to stop the
ship from sinking.
Some are calling for our silence in order to preserve a legacy. Where is the
value of preserving such a legacy, knowing very well you¹re on a sinking
ship?
Arabs are today fighting in their countries for their June 4th whilst others
are engaged in a 31st December.
We have had the privilege of our own June 4th and 31st December a few
decades ago. Let us not squander it. Freedom and justice can be very costly.
We nearly lost it under the NPP had the determined spirit of this country
not rescued it in 2008.
Ladies and gentlemen: Any form of socio-economic injustice that is not
rectified ends up perpetuating itself.
I assure you that a new leadership borne out of the conscience of the people
on that July 8th will bring back the spirit of reconciliation, cooperation
and unity, as we have always attempted to do in order to bring the nation
and government back on course.
If the presidency however remains adamant and refuses to recognise the new
will and spirit of the party and possibly even goes to further undermine the
future leadership then the inevitable will surely happen.
Ladies and gentlemen: The next opportunity I get I would want to demonstrate
to you how persistently blind we have been to the perversion of justice and
why this country will remain under the bondage of a parasitic group of
people.
Have we had the opportunity to change this situation since we came into
office? Yes we have, but we have almost squandered it and are on the verge
of perpetuating the violation of justice by leaving its sanctity in the
hands of conniving human beings instead of the constitution. Our lack of
faith in the judicial consciousness of our people has made this government a
clear failure in our fight to stop the manipulation of justice by a handful
of self-seeking individuals.
The sanctity of justice should be preserved and protected with all of us
being subject to the practice of what is just. Hear me out when the time
comes. Dangerous times are ahead of us because we failed to do what we
needed to do when you gave us back the power in 2008.
I cannot end this address without saying a big thank you to the armed forces
and the security services and the great people of Ghana for the gift of June
4th and 31st December.
Thank you.