Were immortal words that will continue to be the standard of true leadership in our country. Those words remind us of the master's teaching that 'to save one's life we must be prepared to lose it'. selflessness and sacrifice was brought to the fore. What a leader!!!?. His diatribe resonated with the entire nation as there was massive suffering. Inspired by former president Jerry John Rawlings for showing bravery even at the point of death,young officers and other officers forcibly released him and his men on the morning of June 4th 1979.
In the night of June 3rd 1979, junior military officers broke into the jail where former president Jerry John Rawlings was being held and freed him, and ostensibly matched him to the national Radio station to make an announcement. The first the public heard from former president Jerry Rawlings was now legendary statement that he Jerry Rawlings had been released by the junior officers and that he was under their command. He requested all soldiers to meet with them at the Nicholson stadium in Burma Camp in Accra.
The entire nation went up in uproar. To some of us loyal to former president Jerry John Rawlings,June 4 uprising was the most significant event on the nation's political calendar apart from the achievement of Ghana's independence.
The uprising has to be memorised because the revolution fought corruption, greed, nepotism and many other canker at that time and it's still relevant today. Celebrating June 4 should be a time of reflection on the issues that brought about the revolution.
The AFRC carried out a house-cleaning exercise in the armed forces and society at large, while restoring a sense of moral responsibility and the principle of accountability and probity in public life. The AFRC was in office for only three months and, in pursuance of a programme already set in motion before the uprising, allowed general elections to be held. Very historic in world politics because it never happen.
June 4th is about values and principles; It is a reminder that principles must be the core platform on which we build a Great and Strong nation- the cause of right- the cause of justice, the cause of fairness and the cause of brotherhood. The June 4th celebration until 2004 was a public holiday but was revoked by the previous NPP government led by former president John Agyakum Kufour who argued the celebration of the June 4th was touching the sensitivity of some group of Ghanaians whose families fall as victims to the June 4th uprising. It's should have been there to serve as a reminder to criminals elements within the Ghanaian society. The revolution purportedly aimed to alleviate corruption which was at the time rising uncontrollable. The period was also tough times for an ordinary Ghanaian.
However, the June 4th uprising seems not to have served its intended purpose considering the allege corruption level in the country which continues to deny the ordinary Ghanaian of a better education, employment, good clean drinking water, electricity, good roads, rule of law, social justice and equality among other amenities should be blame on the npp for legalizing corruption.
June 4th has never been about making all poor people to become rich and everyone equal. It has never proclaimed as its goal the banishment of poverty from the land. What Its has done is to underscore the need for fairness, equity and the creation of opportunities such that all who truly aspire and apply themselves diligently and make a genuine endeavor can rise progressively out of the doldrums and show that individual and societal progress can be achieved by all classes of people regardless of birth, creed, ethnicity, social status or so called "privileged education" .
Our leaders should use events of June 4 to rebuild the confidence reposed in them, fight corruption and create more jobs for the youth.
We have a lots of work to do to be able to change this country. May the souls of these great men who laid their lives for this country on this great day rest in perfect peace.
I'm setting up a June four memorial school in tamale in honor of Flt Jerry John Rawlings. I'm appealing for all kinds of supports both cash and kind. No donation is small. Your donations are mostly welcome.
Long live Jerry Rawlings!,long live June four,Long live Ghana!!!.
Ibrahim Hardi, email:bigkolaaaya@yahoo.com,contact 0208235615
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