GHANA: Inside The Trenches with Jerry Rawlings from Oct. 1979 to 31st Dec. 1981 Part Two – By Clement Sangaparee

Jerry John Rawlings, for President of Ghana
Jerry John Rawlings, for President of Ghana
I would have written these articles from Part 1 to 200, but I will end only on part 4 Just to show NDC members numbering over 5.6 million people that the NDC as a party was not cut out from a TREE but started from somewhere and was initiated by some Young Patriotic Ghanaians including this writer for two and a half good years starting from 1979 to Dec. 1981.

Asia 728x90

Deeping popular democracy and fighting neo-liberalism are still issues. Due to the total control of the NDC by the Forces that emerged in its forefront in the constitutional era, there is the constant regrouping of cadres of the 31st Dec. Revolution. While it is true that most of these people are mainly concerned about their exclusion from the gravy train, the IMPOSSIBILITY OF THEIR BEING REWARDED OR COMPENSATED has made them a force and follow for returning to the debate of deepening Popular democracy. In their meetings even the government officials wear “revolutionary caps “when speaking and members have been bodly supportive of the section of the PNDC which was repressed and chased out as happened in Madina, Accra on 26th May, 2012. They are now FORCED by their circumstances to now be talking about the guiding principles of the PNDC and talking about the revolutionary process. Similar incident happened in Ho in September 2012. All these constitute a FORUM where real experiment and its lessons are being discussed or debated and can easily be a path for engaging younger generations.

RIVER ACCIDENT

It will be recalled that members of the June Four Movement toured the whole country organizing the people for two and a half good years before Rawlings launched the 31st December Revolution in 1981. Dr. Hilla Limann who turned the Military Intelligence into a Death Squad enabled them to also chase June Four Cadres for the same two-and-a-half years. We were now lodging at Amanteng near Ejura and we camped there for 5 days posing as Farm Laborers working for BY DAY. When we were crossing a river on a big log put across it, Comrade Efo, the only Ayigbe man among the seven of us fell into the river and fortunately for us, two Akan Comrades dived into the river we brought him out within 15 minutes with his eyes very red and a big stomach as he drank more water we laid him flat on his back and put our feet on his stomach and water came through his nostrils and mouth before the six of us carried him shoulder high to the only bush road before we got a tractor and put him inside the bucket of its trailer and send him to Ejura Hospital. One of the AFRC Members’ relatives were Peasant Farmers who heard about us and paid all the medical bills of our comrade as well as food before he was discharged from the hospital. I have cited this example to inform all true members of the NDC that the basis of our people’s support for the Revolution is born out of our experiences of exploitation and injustice. There is no tribal demarcation for exploitation and injustice. The only language we all spoke was Revolution. The need to knock down the old structures which had permitted perpetual exploitation of the Masses by a MINORITY FEW. Members of the June Four Movement were Together AS ONE. We were NOT backbiters, opportunists, Pull Him Down Cadres, Stomach Politicians, Okro mouths and we never indulged in Holier Than Thou Attitudes among ourselves as it is happening within the NDC party structures today, 2016. It was a United Front.

The Common Language we all spoke was Revolution for the two-and-a-half years that we worked to support Jerry John Rawlings to launch the 31st December Revolution that Re-shaped Ghana. Late in the morning, when Comrade Rawlings finally went on Radio to announce the beginning of the Revolution, we knew Ghanaian masses would support it since we have done a massive ground work fully. Nothing great is achieved without Pains and Labour. With a United Front, nothing can stop the Movement of a Progressive People as demonstrated by members of the June Four Movement of Ghana between Oct. 1979 to Dec. 31st 1981.

Do you know what? Rawlings forgave all those Military Intelligence Operatives who were hunting June Four Members like animals, He told us that those MI operatives were acting on instructions from above and were NOT doing their own operation.

Keep your fingers crossed, I shall return.

ALUTA CONTINUA

The opinions expressed are the author’s and do not necessarily reflect the views or have the endorsement of the Editorial Board of www.africanewsanalysis.com, www.africa-forum.net and www.wapsfeatures.wordpress.com