June 4 Revolt: any lessons learnt?

The class revolt of the Ghana Armed Forces which toppled the Supreme Military Council II on June 4, 1979 has chalked its twenty-ninth milestone today. The June 4 Revolution, marked a historical watersheds in our political journey as a nation-state. For the hypocrites in our midst, the relevance of this political event has been lost because the abundant energy, nationalism and dedication displayed by the military underclass to rescue Ghana from the corrupt military oligarchy has been reduced to the perceived sins of one man- Jerry John Rawlings.

Political amnesia has taken the better part of the political hypocrites. They have refused to acknowledge the useful contributions this event brought to the national psyche. They have failed to appreciate the enormous contributions made by the military to the sustenance of national stability by purging their own institutions of vices which were inimical to the growth of the nation and the image of the Armed Forces. We cannot fault people with short memories because even some of the returnees from Agege in 1983, who were quickly integrated back into working life, during the turbulent period of the PNDC, when there was national drought and food supplies very scanty to see families through, became strident critics of Jerry Rawlings today. They have forgotten how they were thrown out and given fourteen days to leave Nigeria by Shehu Shagari. Of course, it was a tit-for-tat situation as Dr. K.A. Busia, the NPP political godfather, out of xenophobia and political revenge embarked on the same suicidal mission.

The New National Democrat believes that the true history of Ghana has to be told the younger generation for them to appreciate where we are coming from as a nation. Political amnesia is gradually destroying this nation. June 4 1979 revolt came at a time most of our professionals and conservatory labourers were on strike. Rawlings and his men were the guiding light providing inspiration by mobilization the students and the working classes to get rid of the stench which virtually engulfed the nation. The military top brass were totally aloof to the problems of the nation because they have lost direction. Their main focus had been to enjoy the perks of office.

A particular section of our political class sees nothing good in the 1979 Revolution. They ought not to in anyway. These groups are mainly the questionable gang who sees every regime as a convenient platform to undeserved riches. Today, the political opportunists and hypocrites in the top echelons of society and in the media have doubled. They have out of personal envy and hatred for Jerry Rawlings reduced this revolt of the underprivileged class in the Forces to the simplistic argument of the execution of the former Military Generals by Jerry Rawlings. The underlying energy, which the revolution provided as an impetus to contain the anger of the public at the sheer arrogance and snobbery the SMCI and II had assumed is lost to even the most intellectual mind in these very political groups.

As the head of State, Jerry Rawlings has accepted responsibility for the executions which he described as unfortunate but necessary to assuage the anger of the ranks. He has time without number explained the volatile nature of the revolt and the threat to this anger being spilled over into the open. While the public, mostly civilians by way of businessmen and women suffered some reprisals as a result of the obvious breakdown of law and order, the magnitude of this revolt is better appreciated by its positive contribution to arrest the national decay. Nations, as we have stated time and time again are prone to both pacifist and violent transitions as part of the inevitable metamorphosis in the struggle to attain the status of a nation-state.

The New National Democrat believes June 4 1979 should be celebrated not for its destructive parts, but the immense lessons it brought to bear on our political history and development. What makes June 4 a historical experience worth remembering is the obvious relapse of the political class and the business community into the very vices which spawned it. The retribution which accompanied June 4 defined the abhorrence for corruption and open pillage of our national resources and the dangers inherent in the arrogance of power.

For those who think the remembrance of June 4 1979 Revolution reminds the families of the executed Generals and other victims of the agony and pain of the incalculable loss, we think in as much as it is regrettable, others too have paid the high price to bring us independence. Nations are vigorously constructed on the sweat, toil, blood and the suffering of its people. For those who have to pay the ultimate price, in order for this country called Ghana to move forward had done so. It is the hope of many that these sacrifices are not in vain. The national colours chosen by our foremost political visionary and leader, Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah recognized the blood shed by our forebears in the struggle to free the Blackman from the burdens of colonialism. As a black nation, we have suffered slavery. Those who captured and sold our forefathers and mothers into slavery have refused to apologized and even pay us reparation.

Importantly, if the leader of June 4 Revolution, Jerry Rawlings, has apologized for some of the excesses, it is only ennobling for the victims to accept it. In the case of Rawlings and his men, they were out to right the wrongs in our society. They played their part in containing the anger and the social malaise which had enveloped the nation. We thank God that our revolution did not go the Ethiopian way or better still what was experienced during the French Revolution of 1789

We have reached a very a critical stage in our nation’s history. We need to consolidate the democratic process. The generic lessons from the English Revolution of 1688 and the French version mentioned earlier on, no doubt have assisted in shaping their democratic paths. The Liberty, Equality and Fraternity, which underpinned the French Revolution and defined their liberal democracy today is owed to the slewing of the monstrous proportions out of the French Oligarchy constituted by the Monarchy. We need to remind ourselves that in England King Charles I was beheaded while in France King Louis XVI was executed on January 21, 1793. However, these nations are not encumbered by these but rather drew lessons from the positive developments it brought with it by way of building lasting democratic institutions.

The New National Democrat cited these few examples just to illustrate a point. What we set out to do is to remind the critics of the destructive parts of the European and even the Americans historical past as they strive to build and consolidate their democracy after the upheavals spawned by their revolutions. They learned useful lessons and build on its positive contributions to national development. The greatest lesson in our case has been to be wary of corrupt tendencies and the cutting of corners to get rich overnight. The democracy we all cherished today has a great input from the industry of Jerry Rawlings. His critics might disagree but he has his name printed in the sands of history for helping construct the democratic structures which hitherto has given us a constitutional democracy spanning uninterrupted fifteen years.

Recent developments in our search for true democracy, which would ultimately be constructed on our cultural and historical experiences, must encompass the tortuous political journey of the nation. This, however, could only be of value if the national leadership and the people of Ghana tackle the real threats to our survival- illegal drug trafficking, bribery and corruption. With the drug menace virtually overwhelming the nation, there is real danger ahead. Again, the destructive parts of June 4 might not necessarily recur but what we are likely to have to contend with is a social explosion of anger of the poor caused by horrible poverty, hunger, unemployment and above all the greed of the privileged class to amass wealth at their expense.

In as much as the symptoms of underdevelopment, poverty and unemployment remains unresolved while the national political class is mired in corruptible acts in order to live in comfort, the recurrence of June 4 and other upheavals witnessed in other parts of the world cannot be simple consigned to the dustbin of history. It is therefore incumbent on us all to keep its retributive aspects at the back of our minds and to resolve to imbibe its positive portrayal of service to the nation and equitable distribution of resources.

While the New National Democrat salutes the heroes of this class action, our prayers go out to the victims of June 4. They have paid the maximum price and nothing would wipe away the tears of their families more than to see Ghana tread the path of virtue and avoid the arrogance of power and exploitation of the majority poor. More importantly, the leader of the Revolution, Jerry John Rawlings deserves commendation for living by the principles of June 4. He is neither corrupt nor driven by arrogance for power. While circumstances of today’s world are different from those hey days, there is ample evidence to show that he has lived the useful experience of this class action.