As it commemorates the 41st anniversary of the overthrow of Dr K. A. Busia’s Progressive Party today, the Busia Foundation is calling on the National Peace Council to condemn a member of the NDC Kakra Essamuah for threatening he will support a coup d’état should the Supreme Court declare Nana Addo the winner of the NPP’s election fraud case.

The Progressive Party Government of Dr Busia was overthrown by General I. K. Acheampong through a coup in 1972.

A statement from the Busia Foundation has described the coup as the darkest day in the country’s history and has condemned the use of violence in changing Governments rather than the rule of Law.

Speaking to XYZ news Director of Public Affairs for the Busia Foundation Anane Agyei said he is surprised days after Mr Essamuah’s statement, no identifiable body including the NDC has come out to condemn it.

CONDEMNATION OF NDC MEMBER’S THREAT OF A COUP D’ETAT

–IN COMMEMORATION OF THE OVERTHROW OF DR. BUSIA’S GOVERNMENT

It is exactly 41 years today since the overthrow of Dr. Busia’s Progress Party Government. That unfortunate event represents the darkest and most shameful day in our country’s history. It was a day that neonates in leadership sought to usurp power with no reasonable justification and eventually plunged the nation in untold hardship and backwardness.

The government of Dr. Busia was a model one in Africa. It did not only seek the overall progress of the nation, it showed particular interest in promoting the welfare of the rural areas of the so as to ensure even development of the country. Busia’s government advocated in no mean measure, the ideals of good governance, democracy and the rule of law. No wonder, Busia left office without a single political detainee in any of the country’s prisons. As a champion and icon of democracy, Busia always showed respect to the views of others irrespective of how variant they were from his own stance. Busia was very tolerant, visionary, hardworking and sensitive to the plight of his fellow citizens. But for that senseless coup by Acheampong, Ghana would have seen much progress in infrastructure and general wellbeing of the citizenry.

The 8-year pragmatic leadership of the NPP under President Kufuor who is a disciple of Busia gives ample evidence of the path and direction of the Progress Party administration. Under the reign of President Kufuor, Busia’s concept of a welfare state clearly came into manifestation through the numerous social policies he implemented alongside the pursuit of the government’s position that the private sector was the engine of growth.

Dr. Busia, although was a politician with a capitalist orientation, did not blind himself with ideological clothes. He was alive to the fact that every society will always have less strong members and hence the need for the State to support such individuals. This thinking was expressed by his slogan of “We are each other’s brother’s keeper”. In the relatively short period of his reign as Prime Minister, traces of his massive development projects are all over Ghana.

One of the best legacies of Dr. Busia to Ghana was his untiring effort at securing true democracy for Ghana. He pursued that agenda at the peril of his own life. He was of the view that democratic societies are supposed to show greater compliance for human rights; after all two heads are better than one. Ghana and Africa can therefore draw inspiration from the legendary stance of Dr. Busia when he called for dialogue as the best tool for resolving the challenges of South Africa at the time. He was viciously condemned and maligned for proposing that diplomatic stance in line with his very nature rather than the use of violent means. Later events vindicated Busia and South Africa is today one of the best examples of democracies in Africa. It is in line with this that I want to condemn in no uncertain terms, the recent threat of coup d’etat issued by Mr. Kakra Essamuah; a leading member of the NDC should the Supreme Court rule in favour of the NPP in the ongoing legal tussle of the 2013 presidential elections.

The decision of the NPP, led by Nana Akufo–Addo to use civil means rather than guns and cudgels or threats of a coup d’etat in seeking redress over electoral dispute is very commendable. When the court eventually declares Nana Addo winner and he is peacefully installed President, it will discourage the use of violence as a means of solving electoral dispute in Africa. The NPP and Nana Akufo as political progenies of Dr. Busia understand that leadership is an avenue for service hence political office should be achieved through a decent and non-violent means.

The National Peace Council and other well-meaning Ghanaians ought to publicly condemn that threat of the NDC legal team member. Imagine if an NPP person also threatens to sponsor a coup should the court ruling goes in favour of John Mahama?

Unlike the 1966 coup when there was no avenue to change the government, the January 13, 1972 coup d’etat of Colonel Kutu Acheampong was most shameful, senseless and reckless. Never again should Ghana allow people like Kutu Acheampong to derail the progress of the motherland.

Long live the cherished memory of Dr. K. A. Busia

Long live democracy and rule of law

Long live Ghana!

Signed

Anane–Agyei

Director of Public Affairs, Busia Foundation International (BFI)