The June 4th Revolution – Has Probity and Accountability been Vindicated ?

Today marks yet another anniversary of the June 4th revolution. As expected,the apologists,image-makers and cult-worshipers of the rawlingses will mount on stage to school us of the relevance of what occurred and to refurbish the image of the presumed heroes of the revolution. Some of us might not have been privy to those historic occurrence, but we have benefitted from documented literature..
In an attempt to avoid the embarrassment of openly celebrating an event banned by parliament and the law court, they will claim it brought democracy in 1979,but that would be a lie.After a heroic struggle by the students and Ghanainan professionals which resulted in the decisive rejection of the infamous Union government proposal at the polls by the citizenry,the Generals had resolved to get back to the barracks and a vigorous Presidential and Parliamentary elections were underway when the revolution happened.
They will claim it was the coup to end all coups, but unfortunately, it was not,for barely two years after handing over , the architects of the June 4th betrayed their own revolution and the citizenry by staging another coup on 31st December 1981.
The greatest of the lies that has become part of the mythology of the June 4th is the claim that it inculcated in Ghanaians the spirit of PROBITY and ACCOUNTABILITY. But did it? .The very people who wielded the weapons of accountabillity have themselves become very unaccountable- The SCANCEM SCANDAL -THE M AND J SCANDAL-THE QUALITY GRAIN SCANDAL-THE CHINCHINGAH/SUBAH/WOYOME.ISOFOTON/SADA/GYEEDA SCANDAL just to mention a few,all stand out as stacking reminders that the actions of the AFRC/PNDC/NDC did not reflect accountability.Indeed as an ultimate betrayal of the principles of accountability and natural justice,they have immune themselves with indemnity clauses.
Certainly there are some truths that have remain unspoken – that ,.June 4th instituted the culture of disrespect for our national institution and elders - that it was the revolution that made it routine for old men and women to be whipped naked in public.
To the people who want to celebrate it, lets think of the orphans,widows and all the other people who were harmed whether intensely or subtly by this revolution. Is this what they will be celebrating? they should remember that, the pain of those who suffered will forever be with them.June 4th has and will forever be an enduring scar not just on our conscience, but also on our collective hearts as a nation
Is it right for us after these grave breaches of the rights of these victims , to visit annually on their orphans and widows the indignity of watching their families agony celebrtated ? I dont think anyone should celebrate the June revolution,for it is mean-spirited and an affront to our common values of decency and community.
June 4th can never be justified, for people were and are still scandalized by the arrogance of our leaders who sold to themselves national assets at "DONKOMI PRICES." - then and now. The public were and are still angered by the culture of impunity- then and now, The public are still enraged by the absence of genuine accountability - then and now Mahama
Let June 4th stand as a lesson about how misguided opportunists can take advantage when people fail to allow institutions to work. As John F Kennedy once said " Those who make peaceful revolution impossible ,make violent revolution inevitable."
let us institutionalise perpetual and peaceful revolution based on probity,accountability and respect for our institutions,laws,elders and women. In acknowledging the bitter lessons of the June 4th revolution, let us reflect not in celebration, but in solemn contemplation ensuring that such a calamity is not reprinted in the pages of our history as a nation



Samudeen Mustapha
samudeens@yahoo.co.uk
0245112753