…and is still significant

The Brong Ahafo Regional Chairman of National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr. Opoku Atuahene has noted that the revolution initiated by ex President Rawlings in 1979 is still going on in the country except that it has taken different turn.

Speaking at the June 4th Celebration in Sunyani at the weekend, Mr. Atuahene indicated that the prime objective of the revolution was to mobilize both human and material resources for national development. On that premise, the NDC chairman believes revolution was still significant for Ghana's development.

He credited the June 4th Revolution with the prevailing democratic atmosphere in the country and current local government system, adding that even 'the 1992 Constitution of the Republic of Ghana is a by-product of the revolution'.

The NDC chairman indicated that some of the contributory factors that triggered June 4, such as bribery and corruption, serial killings, unnecessary hoarding of goods and rape among others were still prevalent in the country, but that did not mean that the purpose of June 4th uprising had been defeated.

Giving a brief political history of the country, Mr. Atuahene noted that Acheampong's regime was the last straw that broke the camel's back and consequently compelled some Ghanaians to revolt.

He stated that what differentiated the June 4th uprising from other military coup d'états was the fact that  its prime objective was not to overthrow the government and rule, but just to rekindle the communal spirit of Ghanaians for development, by mobilizing all available resources for nation building.

Speaker after speaker at the June 4th Celebration in Sunyani over the weekend sought to justify the significance of the event that took place three decades ago.

One of the speakers, Mr. Kwabena Anane Agyei, a senior cadre in the region asked critics of June 4th Revolution to blame people who provided the conditions that triggered the June 4th uprising for any unfortunate incident that happened, indicating that the revolution was very necessary at the time.

Mr. Agyei emphatically stated that the June 4th revolution provided an opportunity for the better Ghana that Ghanaians are experiencing today, and that all who participated to ensure that sanity prevailed in the country, especially the cadres who played effective role in resource mobilization, must be recognized for their dedication towards the development of the nation.

He, however, reminded members of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) that Ghana was no more in the revolution days and must, therefore, change their ways of doing things. He said the NDC was competing with other political parties and that called for ground-breaking strategies and tactics that would help the party to retain power for longer period, cautioning members of the party who wield power of influence not to abuse it because 'influence is like current account, they more you use the less you have.'

On his part, the Deputy Regional Minister, Mr. Eric Opoku noted that June 4th marked the end of coup d'états and also engineered the liberalization of the airwaves in the country, maintaining that the importance of that revolution could not be overemphasized.

He said most of the ardent critics of June 4th in the New Patriotic Party (NPP) were all part of the June 4th revolution but did not see anything wrong when they were involved until they parted ways with the leadership of PNDC.

The Brong Ahafo Regional Chairman of United Cadres' Front (UCF), Mr.

Kingsford Ohene Gyaase explained that cadres were a different group from foot soldiers in the NDC. He gladly noted that cadres in the region had not taken advantage of incumbency to misconduct themselves in anyway, and thus disassociated the members of UCF from some unhealthy developments being spearheaded apparently by some foot soldiers in the party.

He mentioned the attacks on some District and Municipal Chief Executives and forcible snatching of toilets, as some of the things cadres would never indulge themselves in.

Cadres in the region, he said, for the good of the party would not declare their support for any of the presidential candidates as a group, but members of UCF have their individual rights to support candidates of their choice. He consequently entreated members of the UCF not to use the movement's name for such course.