June 4 celebration
There was an intriguing drama in the Domeabra-Obom Constituency of the Greater Accra region when the New Patriotic Party (NPP) candidate for the 2016 parliamentary election, Baba Mohammed defied his party’s principles and stormed the celebration of June 4, coup by supporters of the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the Constituency to mark the day of the uprising.
June 4, in the nineteen years reign of the ex-president, John Jerry Rawlings was celebrated to honour the falling heroes of the June 4, uprising that cleansed the political system in the late 1970s.
The day until the advent of the NPP’s administration was a public holiday which was later expunged as a public holiday when the NPP administration sought the interpretation of the Supreme Court to have it removed as a statutory holiday.
The Herald can report that even though the NPP abhors June 4, celebration and has severally criticized its celebrations as a National holiday, Baba Mohammed, who is relatively unknown in the scheme of politics in the constituency, joined the NDC parliamentary candidate for the area, Sophia Karen Ackuaku to mark the day with a football gala at Balagonor, a village in the constituency to the surprise of many who had gathered at the programme.
The Herald learnt that not even a careful reminder from the Master of Ceremony that the event was in commemoration of the June 4, uprising which his party has criminalized could not awakened the NPP candidate that he was at the wrong forum.
A video of him praising the principles of June 4, at the celebration is current trending on viral on various social media platforms in the country The Herald has learnt.
The Herald’s scouts were shocked by the NDC candidate’s appearance at the event amidst uproar from the party supporters.
Speaking at the ceremony, Madam Sophia Ackuaku,and also the deputy Executive Secretary of the National Service Scheme outlined the history behind the June 4, celebration, noting that if the NPP candidate has realized that the leadership of his party erred in criminalizing the event, “then it is just fair that we (NDC) accept him (NPP candidate) into our fold.”
Referring to the well-known saying that to err is human, Madam Sophia Ackuaku advised the NDC supporters to accept the NPP candidate as one of the many NPP supporters who have seen the good works of President Mahama and are desirous of joining his re-election bid.
On his part, the NPP candidate praised organizers of the June 4 football gala, assuring that he will assist in unearthing talents in the constituency.
