From 1982 – 1992 In Ghana
Recent political events in the country has compelled me to go into history by recalling the PNDC era from 31st December, 1981 to May 18th 1992 when the ban on party politics was lifted by J.J. Rawlings who was the chairman of the PNDC.
Rawlings taught cadres how to sacrifice for National Development and NOT to become money conscious. Today 2011, if the yardstick of June 41979 should be used to measure the life styles of both NPP opposition politicians and some NDC government appointees from 2009 to 2011 most of them will be caught in the Net red handed. Rawlings said, “Let the world know that Ghanaians are determined to make democracy really work for the ordinary man, not just for small groups of people to exploit them and ride over their misery”. Unfortunately for Rawlings, this is exactly what is happening in the NDC with him as the Founder since Jan. 2009-2011, The above speech was delivered to Ghanaians in a radio broadcast to the Nation on January 5th 1989, some 22years ago today 2011. Some Appointees are exploiting us and riding over our misery with IMPUNITY and they turn round to mis-inform President Mills that All is well.
The most critical days in the history of the 31st December revolution were from June 12th 1983 – June 19th 1983, Not a day passed in every week without rumours of coup attempt to overthrow Ghana’s young and popular revolution forming the PNDC government.
True, the climax came on June 19th – 1983 when the actual attempt was brutally crushed in a manner determined by the undying spirit of June 4 and the 31st December revolution. As a Senior Cadre, I feel very, very proud whenever I remember that fateful day, because that was the first time in my experience in this country, that Broadcasting House had been captured and people were been ORDERED TO REPORT to the military Barracks or the Nearest Police Station, but instead of Reporting themselves to those coup leaders, Cadres, Civilian Ministers and other Progressive Forces including this writer DID NOT FEAR DEATH but were rather MOBILISING OURSELVES to FIGHT THE ENEMY. That was the first time I saw civilian secretaries of state (ministers) of state, and civilian cadres armed themselves with AK47 assault rifles, hand grenades, bows and arrows and sought Armed dissident soldiers led by the late Cpl. Alidu Gyiwa, because a soldier of ANY RANK can become a Head of State if he succeeds in overthrowing any ruling government in this world. Since independence, any coup leader who capture Broadcasting House in Accra always succeeded and became a Head of state, but that attempt failed completely because NOBODY REPORTED TO THEM and that coup attempt was crushed and the 31st December Revolution succeeded, that is why I am very very proud and happy. It survived until 1988 when it was sufficiently stabilized to hold the District Level Elections and install the District Assemblies.
So many people are not aware that 16th – 17th -18th and 19th June are anniversaries in the revolutionary calendar since these were the days that vigilant cadres of the revolution reported the clandestine moves of a Retired Army Major who was secretly recruiting active serving soldiers to prepare to stage a coup to destabilize the 31st Dec – revolution. That vigilance exposed the conspiracy and resulted in their trial, conviction and subsequent execution of Major (rtd) Samuel Boateng Okyere and others. Those of you with long memories will remember names like No. 170980 Private Samuel Kojo Amponsah Dadzie, No. 175887 L/cpl Sampson Darkwa, No. 17813 Sapper Alhasan Adam, Captain Twum Ampofo, No. 175640 Edward Mills Osei, No. 178455 Private Henry Obeng, No. 172202 G.K. Debrah and Lt. Col. Ekow Dennis as some of the persons who were involved in that destablisation attempt on that occasion too, the vigilance of the cadres ENSURED the survival of the revolution, therefore, if today 2011 the cadres sacrificed extremely including this writer without ANY REWARDS and some of them are lucky to be alive today, we will NEVER SIT DOWN UNCONCERNED FOR ANY PERSON OR GROUP OF PEOPLE TO GANG UP AND TELL US THAT RAWLINGS’ TIME HAS PASSED and so he MUST keep quiet and allow them to KILL the NDC party after AMASSING WEALTH for themselves as we are witnessing daily at the various constituencies nationwide. I have gone into this bit of history to emphasise a fundamental point about the IMPORTANCE of the CDR Cadres in the NDC in this constitutional era.
Hundreds of cadres died in the course of the revolution and NOBODY thinks of their wives and children, I mean their widows and orphans today No. matter the historic and strategic compromises that the march of history may compel us to make, no matter the new institutions we introduce, one point will never change, and that is, patriotic cadres defended the 31st Dec. Revolution. It was Not assemblymen, Not even necessarily secretaries (Ministers) of state, BUT THE CADRES who are being looked down with scorn today 2011 in the so-called new NDC. We will NEVER SIT DOWN and Allow some party functionaries with misconceived Agenda to Destroy Rawlings and His wife-Tofiakwa it won’t happen.
Mark my words and Try it and we see.
ON FORMER PREZ. RAWLINGS
What is Jerry Rawlings Beef some people may ask- and as a cadre, the answer is very simple. He did all what he could to carry Professor Mills to power. Now, to reciprocate that gesture by giving his supporters appointment ONLY TO TURN deaf ears on his calls by snubbing him because some people have erected a huge barricade between Rawlings and the sitting President and because he is a God fearing man who doesn’t want to touch a single hair of his political opponents in Ghana-those who gain immensely from his leniency are his number one enemies and Not, repeat NOT Rawlings and his wife or the cadres whom most DCE’S/MCE’S and party executives LOVE TO HATE. Do you know that what? I want Prez. Mills to succeed that is why I write this article to remind him. when the cadres kicked against the nomination of professor Mills at the Swedru Declaration Rawlings re-acted militantly by causing the mass arrests of dissenting cadres and dumping them in Military Guard Rooms and BNI cells between 1998 and 1999 just to put the fear of God in them, but they finally came out with the National Reform Party and the NDC lost the general elections in the year 2000.
The position of the cadres against the nomination of Professor Mills at that time in 1998 did not mean that he was not QUALIFIED, But because he was a NEW FACE in the NDC and to worsen matters, he was also a law professor who turns out hundreds of lawyers from the Ghana School of Law. Since June 4 1979 lawyers NEVER SUPPORTED Rawlings and so the country’s administration did NOT Support the radical House cleaning Exercise by the AFRC military Junta in 1979.
During the PNDC era, the Ghana Bar Association full of Western trained lawyers did all they could to make the revolution unpopular-simply put, they hated Rawlings and his “so-called Revolution” as they put it. Now, has the cadres been vindicated as Rawlings advices are being ignored and he remains a tooth less ball dog in the NDC? How can this be, those around the sitting President must be defeated before Rawlings and Mills can be UNITED, or is it now a crime punishable by ISOLATION for one to speak the truth in the NDC? The answer is a capital No. Rawlings advised the sitting president to investigate former DCE’s/MCE’s of Kuffour’s NPP administration up to the Regional and National Levels – which the President accepted to do in the presence of Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, but he refused to do it according to Rawlings speech at Akrofuom Adansi in the Ashanti Region. He also told Ghanaians that if a road contract is awarded to a contractor at a cost of 4billion Ghana cedis, the NPP government will increase the amount 4 times to 16billion Ghana cedis and take the difference of 12 billion Ghana cedis, yet Mills flatly refused to probe all these huge embezzling of state cash. If that is the case, them Rawling must rather be praised instead of being condemned. When Kuffour took over in Jan. 2001 all known NDC members were sacked within 3 months under his infamous proceed on leave programm why?
What is coming is cow- and which will happen will happen.
A BOMBSHELL BY A TOP NDC GURU!
Addressing a well attended party meeting of the NDC in Obuasi, on Saturday 19th February,2011 one Mr. Solomon, a deputy National Propaganda secretary of the NDC HIT BELOW THE BELT by telling party members that”. If you engage in internal opposition in the NDC, you will get NOTHING for 1,000years because the policy of satisfying everybody is very difficult. Fair Enough. This young man was camped by the constituency Executives of Obuasi and mis-informed for him to cast insinuations at that meeting without hearing the other side of the story. Let me reply him by telling him that if the National Executives had gone round to campaign alone and released the delegates list to him and gave him 2 days to campaign- like they did in Obuasi, he will NOT HAVE been a deputy National Propaganda secretary today. If the National Executives of the NDC had disqualified all the contestants and remained UN-OPPOSED, he will not have become the deputy National propaganda secretary today. (3) if it is a crime for speaking the TRUTH, only to be regarded as an INTERNAL OPPONENT in the NDC, I there say that I am No. One in Obuasi and I will, never stop, damn the consequence you can take your job if that is the position of the NDC party, but do you believe that the NDC will remain in power for 1,000years? Why didn’t you unite the National Executive Members at the NDC National Head Quarters who are themselves divided over Rawlings and Mills before coming to Obuasi to support one side?
What a very reckless statement by a leading member of the NDC Rawling did NOT TRAIN Cadres with money-Go and ask Rawling who is now reaping the fruits of his dictatorship when he single handedly chose Prof. Mills as his successor in 1998 against stiff opposition from his cadres. Therefore, if one always point out mistakes of party executives that will sent back the party to opposition and you regard that as an INTERNAL OPPOSITION IN THE NDC, then SO BE IT, I am prepared to remain jobless, for the 1,000years because I will never shut my mouth when Alien Policies are being introduced into the NDC in Obuasi. Elections are not won at the Castle or the Ministries, Elections are Not won at the National Headquarters of the NDC in Accra, Elections are NOT won at the Regional NDC offices or the various constituencies where extreme greed, selfishness, hate, smear campaigns, blackmail ingratitude opportunistic tendencies and ungratefulness are taking place and the Regional and National Secretariats of the NDC have TURNED DEAF EARS TO ALL THESE. Once elections are won at the polling stations which the NDC describe as branches, you will definitely come down there to campaign for votes and we shall refer you to the reckless remarks you made to the NDC foot soldiers in Obuasi; so once again, TAKE YOUR JOB for I was among thousands of cadres right from June4 through the PNDC era up to date who join the revolution and the party with empty hands of returned with empty hands But I never died while others died so I don’t care at all because the truth always stands tall forever
ALUTA CONTINUA!
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CLEMENT SANGAPARE
MUNICIPAL ORGANIZER
UNITED CADRES FRONT
OBUASI
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E-MAIL: clementsang@yahoo.com