June 4: NDC prays against poverty, disunity, oppression and corruption

The National Democratic Congress has in a statement to mark the 28th anniversary of the June 4 uprising, prayed that Ghana would be spared poverty, disunity, oppression and corruption.

The party therefore asked all Ghanaians to be vigilant and play their watchdog role required to put leaders at all sectors of the society in check and by so doing uphold the June 4 ideals of probity and accountability.

The party said corruption, oppression and the lack of accountable leadership, motivated members of the military, led by junior officers incensed at the horrible spectacle of corruption by the ruling class and the abject poverty of the ordinary folk, to take up arms to confront the confront the leadership.

Below is the full statement.

STATEMENT BY THE NATIONAL DEMOCRATIC CONGRESS ON THE OCCASION OF THE 28TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE JUNE 4, 1979 UPRISING

Today marks the 28th anniversary of the June 4 uprising led by junior officers of the military primarily motivated by the horrible spectacle of corruption by the ruling class and the abject poverty of the ordinary folk.

Empowering Ghanaians to appreciate that they each had a stake in the destiny of Mother Ghana was the major ideal of June 4. Ghanaians woke up to the realisation that the country did not belong to a minority who monopolised power and the country's economic resources.

As the country marks today's anniversary the NDC, led by our flag bearer, Professor John Evans Attah Mills joins Ghanaians in praying for a society devoid of all the ills that June 4 stood against – poverty, disunity, oppression and corruption.

Ghana has come a long way since the action led by Flt Lt Rawlings 28 years ago. The metamorphoses that took place in 1992 with the re-introduction of multi-party democracy and the stability that this country has seen since 1981 are all due to the efforts by the proponents of the June 4 era to lead this country on a stable road to political and economy prosperity.

Today corruption and poverty have not been totally eradicated but thanks to the legacy left by those who stood up for Ghana 28 years ago there are structures in place that allow for us to tackle these problems.

Government is responsible for ensuring that the average Ghanaian can make ends meet and corruption is monitored by a host of quasi-state institutions like the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) and of course the law enforcement agencies.

The NDC calls on the ruling government to take bold steps to maintain the peace and freedoms enjoyed by Ghanaians. These can only be enjoyed when the populace is convinced that every effort is made to investigate allegations of corruption and abuse of political office, reports of which are now a daily occurrence.

The bodies that have been instituted by the constitution to perform these roles should be well resourced by government to exercise their duties.

An issue of particular concern to all Ghanaians now is the menace of drugs, which seems to have permeated our society. Drug trafficking and usage has been in the news lately and this canker needs to be nipped in the bud in our quest for national development. Failure to tackle this will derail every gain we have chalked so far.

The NDC enjoins all Ghanaians to be vigilant and play the watchdog role required to put leaders at all sectors of our society in check and by so doing uphold the June 4 ideals of probity and accountability.

We expect the bodies designated to supervise the elections to perform their roles without fear or favour and with utmost integrity. And if they do not the NDC will surely use every legal means available to seek redress.

We must first and foremost protect our freedoms through national unity, exercising moderation in times of debate and ensuring that peace is our watchword.

The chaos that characterised the period before June 1979 should not be allowed to rear its ugly head again.

Multi-party democracy gives us the opportunity to use the ballot box to express our disgust at what is wrong with government and we pray that Ghanaians will take pride in that power and take action at the right time.

Long live Ghana.