I am not here to unite good and bad – Rawlings

Former President Jerry John Rawlings has said he is not out to unite “good and bad“and urged the leadership of National Democratic Congress (NDC) to play their roles with distinction.

“We lost our masses because we betrayed the cause of June 4. We never followed the tenets and principles of probity, accountability, integrity and transparency which the uprising stood for”.

“Your ears seemed to be blocked when the NDC was in power but now that you are booted out of power you will want to listen”, he asked.

President Rawlings said this at a rally in Wa to mark the 38th anniversary of the June 4 Uprising by junior ranks of the Ghana Armed Forces which led to the ousted the Supreme Military Council 2 administration.

He said Ghanaians must not forget that some army generals were killed because of corruption and injustice, a practice, he described as being a thousand times more than what the generals did and were killed.

He said the principles of June 4 were not alienated to the structures of the cultural setup of Ghana and demanding or measuring accountability, probity, integrity, and transparency from public officials was a right.

The lack of those principles bred corruption which was an enemy to the socio-economic development of the people.

Mr Alban Bagbin, Second Deputy Speaker of Parliament and Member of Parliament for the Nadowli-Kaleo Constituency, called on the rank and file of the NDC to rededicate themselves to the tenets and principles of June 4.

He said whoever is elected or appointed to a position must try and account to the people because the people own the NDC.

Mr Haruna Iddrisu, Minority Leader in Parliament, said June 4 Uprising laid the foundation for democratic processes in Ghana with probity, accountability, integrity and transparency which have become hallmarks of our democracy.

He said there is too much discrimination going on in the country, especially when it came to job acquisition which was done on political party lines and the NDC is demanding an end to the practice where several workers are sacked because they are perceived as members of the NDC.

He said those workers were first of all Ghanaians and dismissing them because of political affiliation was wrong.

On the murder of Captain Maxwell Mahama, Mr Iddrisu called for swift justice delivery on the case and reminded the police on the need to show distinction in in ensuring that all perpetrators were brought to face the full rigours of the law.  

Alhaji Hudu Yahaya, former National Secretary of the NDC, said June 4 was not only for Ghana but it also impacted positively across the political history of the entire West Africa.
 
“The window of opportunities that the youth are enjoying today was made possible as a result of June 4,” he said.
Earlier in the morning six wreaths were laid at the Revolutionary Square in Wa in honour of fallen heroes while the perpetual flame was lighted by a queen mother and a Mr Joseph Yieleh Chireh, Member of Parliament for Wa West.

Source: GNA