Memories Of June 4 Can’t Be Erased — Rawlings

Former President, Flt Lt Jerry John Rawlings, has declared that no government or force can erase the memories of the June 4 uprising.

He therefore called on those who wanted to play down the gains of the uprising to rather reflect on the massive corruption and malpractices that led to the June 4 uprising and mend their ways.

Flt Lt Rawlings made the declaration when he addressed a mammoth rally at Somanya in the Eastern Region to commemorate the 28th anniversary of June 4 uprising.

The gathering, the largest to have assembled at Somanya in recent times, was attended by the flag bearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Professor J. E. Atta Mills, Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings, former First Lady; and Messrs Kwabena Adjei, Asiedu Nketia and Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, National Chairman, General Secretary and National Organiser of the NDC respectively.

Other prominent people who attended the rally included Lt General Arnold Quainoo, one-time Army Commander; the Member of Parliament (MP) for Ningo-Prampram, Mr E. T. Mensah, as well as cadres of the June 4 Movement who took turns to criticise the NPP administration.

According to former President Rawlings, massive corruption and discrimination led to the June 4 uprising and that after clearing the mess it handed over poweer to the Limann Administration but it could not build on the gains, culminating in its overthrow.

Flt Lt Rawlings stated: “We did a lot but the Kufuor Administration has again been engulfed in the same malpractices, massive corruption and has taken Ghana back to the dark ages.”

The former president stated that because the NPP was aware that it would not win the 2008 elections the party had trained a private secret force (community police) to help rig the elections.

He called on retired police and military personnel “to be prepared to defend the constitution on the day of the election.”

Flt Lt Rawlings, who expressed disgust at the failure of the state media to give adequate coverage to Professor Mills, called on all supporters of the NDC to support the party's flag bearer to win the 2008 elections.

When Professor Mills took mhis turn, he said although the NPP by its bad governance had created a hopeless situation for Ghanaians, the situation would be reversed because the NDC would definitely win the 2008 elections and continue with its good policies, which were terminated when it lost the 2000 elections.

He said Ghanaians were now tired of the NPP government and that the time had come for it to be voted out but conceded that that would not be easy.

He therefore called on all to support the party to wrest power from the NPP.

Mr Asiedu Nketia drew attention to the establishment of the community police by the government and said he would challenge that in court in view of Articles 85, 200 and 210 of the 1992 Constitution.

Dr Kwabena Adjei said the June 4 Movement was inseparable from the 31st December Women's Movement and so the NDC was calling on the people to support the three bodies.

He warned those NDC party members who, he alleged had been leaking information to the opposition to either stop or be dealt with drastically.

For her part, Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings questioned the rationale behind the redenomination of the cedi, since a common currency for the West African sub-region would be in circulation next year.