Celebrated playwright, Ebo Whyte, has indicated that the June 4 uprising was justified because “people were treated like rats in Ghana”.
Speaking at the premier of his ‘Damaged Goods’ stage production at the National Theatre in Accra where former president Jerry John Rawlings who just turned 70 was the Special Guest, Ebo Whyte recounted breaking into tears in 1979 following the utterance of a food seller.
His statement was to eulogies Rawlings for the revolution as he posited that the intervention was spot on, a reason the former president deserves to be celebrated.
“Sometimes, people want to rewrite history. But I was old enough in 1979. I knew what was happening. I tell a story. It’s a story that broke my heart. “I had finished secondary school; I was working at SSNIT. Corruption and greed adopted this impunity because they knew no one can touch them. Honest, honorary people were treated like rats in Ghana. Better paying companies and yet my colleagues and I could not afford a decent meal. A friend of mine called Kojo and I went to buy waakye. We didn’t have money for the meat so we go and tell stories that we have sardine. The woman had monitored and realized we always said we had sardine in the office. She knew we were lying. One day, she said, ‘I pity you people. You wear white shirts and long ties and you come and sit in this company. At the end of the month, they pay you two and half pesewas. Why don’t you put off your tie and come join me in selling waakye. At least, you’ll get a decent meal to eat.’ That day, I went to the office and I wept,” he said.
“… One morning, I was on the way to the office when a panting, breathless voice came on air and announced… announced liberation, announced salvation for the nation; since that day, you have been an inspiration sir. I honor you” he added.
Rawlings initially came to power as a flight lieutenant of the Ghana Air Force following a coup d'état in 1979. After he had initially handed power over to the civilian government of the late Hilla Limann, he took back control of the country on 31 December, 1981 as the chairman of the Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC).
In 1992, Rawlings resigned from the Armed Forces, founded the National Democratic Congress (NDC), and became the first president of the Fourth Republic.
He was re-elected in 1996 for an additional four years. He is married to Nana Konadu Agyeman and has three daughters – Zanetor, Yaa Asantewaa, Amina – and a son, Kimathi.
According to Ebo Whyte, Rawlings a blessing to Ghana.
“There is nobody who knows scripture who will not have to recognize the fact that God did not give him this nation to rule for 19 years for nothing,” he noted.
