On \nDecember 31, 1981, Rawlings, supported by lower-ranking soldiers, most \nof whom served in the Reconnaissance Regiment, seized power to cure what\n they said were deep-seated corruption and harsh economic situation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Rawlings then established the Provisional National Defence Council \n(PNDC) to rule the country, dissolved parliament, and banned all \npolitical parties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On January 21, 1982, Rawlings appointed a sixteen-member civilian \ngovernment with a cabinet of secretaries and told them to “serve the \npeople sacrificially.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The PNDC also assumed control of the Ministry of Defence. The \nRawlings regime further consolidated its power by promulgating PNDC Law \n42, which suspended the constitution and gave the government wide powers\n over Ghanaian citizens.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On Monday, December 31, 2018, the National Democratic Congress (NDC),\n led by Mr Rawlings, held the 37th anniversary of the revolution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It was held under the theme, \u201cDeepening the Core Principles of Good Leadership for Political Governance\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Read Mr Rawlngs\u2019 full address below.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n ADDRESS BY H.E. JERRY JOHN RAWLINGS AT THE 37TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE 31ST DECEMBER REVOLUTION MANDELA PARK, ASHAIMAN<\/p>\n\n\n\n MONDAY 31ST DECEMBER 2018<\/p>\n\n\n\n Niimei, Naamei,<\/p>\n\n\n\n Comrades,<\/p>\n\n\n\n Invited Guests,<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ladies and Gentlemen:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Another\n year draws to a close in a few hours and as we take stock of 2018, we \nalso remember events that led to the 31st December Revolution and the \ndecade that changed Ghana\u2019s history – a history that some have sought to\n distort for their selfish ends to the detriment of the future of many \nof our youth who have been fed on political half-truths and total \nfalsehoods.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\n is quite positive that some have taken it upon themselves to present \nthe facts as they are and even develop them into theatre productions in a\n bid to tell the history through the arts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I welcome you all to today\u2019s durbar in Ashaiman. Afiii ooo to all present.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ladies\n and Gentlemen, tackling corruption at all levels of our society is an \nissue I never get tired of speaking about. Corruption and indiscipline \nis a plague that we should take very seriously if we are to achieve true\n development in our country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If\n we do not uproot the main stems of corruption in this country, soon we \nwill also contribute to the consolidation of the evil of corruption. We \nwould have squandered another God-given opportunity to free this country\n and restore its soul and our humanity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If\n the practice of multi-party democracy can work for Western powers, is \nthere any reason why it shouldn\u2019t work for us? Could it be because of \nthe influence and power that vices like untruthfulness, injustice and \nthe general political immorality wields\n over the virtue of principles? And yet these principles are very much a\n part of our black African culture. If the same practice of multi-party \ndemocracy can bring the best or close to the best out of them, why does \nit bring the worst out of us? And once again is it because we have \nelevated wrongdoing to an acceptable level where there is no outcry of \ncondemnation and as a consequence we wholeheartedly embrace the corruption we are steadily breeding?<\/p>\n\n\n\n The simple answer is our refusal to liberate truth and justice. To accord truth\n and justice the place of respect in our lives. If injustice, lying, \nstealing and robbery can comfortably be used in our everyday lives by \nboth the rulers and the ruled then we seem unaware of the serious \nconsequences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Events\n like today\u2019s should be an avenue to confront the realities of our \ncurrent political circumstances. For political expediency and sheer \nfleeting personal comfort many of us have thrown out the true ideals\n behind the sacrifices of 31st December and June 4th. The injustice, the\n corruption, the lying and the plain thievery that we experience and \nwitness daily is only an expression of who we have become. Within our \nown political family and of course on a national scale, liberating truth\n and justice is almost alien to us. We may speak against it at public \nforums like this but many of us will go back and further perpetuate the \nnegatives in their quest for political power and control.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We can never liberate our country with such a masquerade, Ladies and Gentlemen!<\/p>\n\n\n\n As\n we bemoan the lack of truth and justice in our daily lives, we have to \nconfront some of the challenges that further aggravate our social, \npolitical, cultural and economic circumstances. As many as 4.5 million \nWest Africans from neighbouring countries have added unto our \npopulation. This is the official figure. The true figure however\n is likely to be three times more. This has undoubtedly increased the \nstress on our space and resources. Added to this, is the rampant \nstealing, robbery and brazen killings we are experiencing as a country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Majority\n of Ghanaians do not have the luxury of engaging in the trading \nactivities of some of our visitors or in their lawlessness, something \nthat our police sometimes handle with kid gloves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ladies\n and Gentlemen, citizens of the developed world started working their \nway out of their poverty when they woke up to the consequences of lack \nof family planning. Are we ever going to wake up to the realisation that\n the discipline and accountability that comes with family planning \nfosters development? If we however\n start taking measures to re-engage the discipline of family planning as\n we did during the Revolution, what measures are we going to put in \nplace to ensure that the space we toiled for is not taken over and \nconsumed by non-Ghanaians, many of whom do not even carry the required \nECOWAS identification cards?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Before I take my seat, Ladies and Gentlemen, it is important that I refer to one of the challenges that has\n affected the quality of integrity in our party. Per the regulations of \nthe NDC, every member is expected to pay a token annual fee to justify \ntheir membership. Unfortunately, though we have millions who sympathise \nwith the ideals of the party many prefer not to offer their widow\u2019s mite\n to the successful management of the party. This has resulted in a \nsituation where a few individuals have constituted themselves into power\n brokers who dictate the direction of the party by holding it to ransom \nwith their financial strength. The vast majority of the party have \nbecome subservient to the dictates of these power brokers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\n is imperative that members own and actively participate in the \nactivities of the party by contributing their widow\u2019s mite at all \nlevels. We need to devise a mechanism that makes it attractive to pay \nour dues and levies. In conscientizing\n members on their obligations, ease of payment, proper records, \ntransparency and accountability should be embraced. This will energise \nthe base, deepen commitment and enhance the chances of winning \nelections.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Some\n senior members of the party are vying to lead the party to the next \nelection. In their messages to the rank and file, it is important that \nthey inculcate the spirit of inclusiveness in the processes of the \nparty. The process should not be of how much your candidate can give \nyou, but how committed you can be to your party. Let us listen to \nourselves in the choices we make. Let us not allow material and monetary\n inducements to sway our judgement. The power belongs to us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ladies\n and Gentlemen, one of the major challenges facing our world is the \nthreat of global warming created by the emission of \u2018greenhouse\u2019 gases \nsuch as carbon dioxide into the atmosphere which then tend to trap heat,\n leading to the melting of glaciers in colder climates, rising sea \nlevels, deterioration of our forests and the dwindling numbers of our wild life.\n The rate at which global warming is rising threatens human existence. \nThe terrible heat we are experiencing is not by accident. We contribute \nour bit through the reckless burning instead of responsible disposal of \nrefuse. Industries release large doses of carbon dioxide into the \natmosphere with many making no effort to embrace more environmentally \nsafer ways of production. It is necessary that we do not look at some of\n these threats as problems belonging to other parts of the world. The \ncrisis is real and the earlier we educate ourselves on these issues and \nmake individual choices to have a less polluted atmosphere the better it\n will be for our world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I\n face a few dilemmas and I would very much have wished to share some of \nthese concerns with you and to hear your opinions. I will however end here by wishing all Ghanaians a Happy and Wonderful New Year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Thank you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n credit: myjoyonline<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"