Rawlings attained Ghana’s 4th Republic at an indefensible blood price – Nana Frema Busia

Nana Frema Busia, the daughter of Dr Kofi Abrefa Busia has stated that Ghana’s 4th Republic which is attributed to the late Jerry John Rawlings was bought at an “indefensible blood price”.

According to her, Ghana as a country has showcased its customary love for the dead and have mourned, eulogised and given a befitting state burial which was full of controversies to Flt. Lt. Jerry John Rawlings.

In her latest article titled “Jerry John Rawlings in perspective”, Nana Frema Busia warned:

“Ghana must not whitewash tombs with untruths. Now that we have showcased our customary love for the dead, mourned, eulogized and given a befitting state burial amid controversial democracy-founder credits to Flt. Lieutenant J.J. Rawlings, which stretches facts to make our eyes pop, we should reposition foolproof Truth.”

Busia added: “Yes, the ambivalent J.J. advent is etched indelibly on our history. His blood-stained legacy is forever congealed on our national conscience. Thus, while we empathise with the bereaved and grieving family, without begrudging him any due achievements, we must duly acknowledge our 4th Republic was attained at a definite indefensible blood price which overwhelms his legacy.”

She indicated that a truthful retrospective appraisal of Rawlings’s “revolutionary” insurrection will help one conclude that Rawlings’s appearance on the political scene was like a cataclysmic earthquake that created a chilling crater centre stage with executions of all living former heads of state and other senior military officers, amid calls of “let the blood flow”. This ultimately had the semblance of a hailed, tragic figure, who failed to achieve his idyllic acclaimed goal of aiding the poor masses against corrupt officialdom.

Nana Frema Busia also stated: “Today, corruption is our daily meal and an intractable national pastime including at [the] grassroots level, and that is not in his historic favour.

She added: “Whereas death may be the penalty for the treason of constitutional overthrow, which he, former President Rawlings, was also guilty of, certainly, death by firing squad is not the penalty for corruption or leadership failure of its systemic control, otherwise Mr Rawlings doubly qualified to be in an execution line up and most of Ghana in the queue.”

Finally, Busia indicated that some of the excesses of the revolution like the gruesome human sacrifice/murders of innocent Judges during “J.J.’s second coming” after the overthrow of the Dr Hilla Liman administration which traumatized the nation still makes us cringe about sordid injustice. The ‘Junior Jesus’ captivating boom rhetorics to jolt our conscience about societal decadence and corruption, and the signature J.J zeal to usher in an austere conscientious purity against ‘kalabule’ had instant resonance, but, also failed even as applied under his own governance.”