ACCRA, Dec. 31 – The ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) marked the 31st anniversary of the 31stDecember 1981 revolution which brought to power its founder, Jerry John Rawlings here on Monday.
Ministers of state in the present and past NDC governments, cadres of the revolution, and other principal actors of state were present at the solemn ceremony of wreath-laying and lighting of perpetual flame to mark the anniversary.
Four wreaths were laid on behalf of the people of Ghana, cadres of the revolution, the security services and the traditional authorities, while a slow march was performed and the last post sounded in honor of the fallen heroes of the revolution.
Rawlings first came to political limelight in June 1979 after toppling the seven-year old military government of the Supreme Military Council, (SMC) forming in its place the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC).
The AFRC subsequently handed over power in September that same year to the democratically elected People’s National Party (PNP) government of late Dr. Hilla Limann after three months of drastic military actions termed “House Cleaning” with eight serving high ranking military officers including three military heads of state being executed in military justice style.
However, on New Year’s Eve of 1981 Rawlings led yet another military insurrection to topple the PNP government he accused of incompetence and corruption.
After the 11 years of the Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC) with Rawlings as its chairman, multi-party democracy was restored with the first democratic elections in the fourth republic being held in November and December 1992.
Rawlings who led the newly formed NDC to power won the presidential elections by 58.4 percent and went ahead to win the subsequent election in 1996 by 57.4 percent before handing over power peacefully to the New Patriotic Party (NPP)’s John Agyekum Kufuor in January 2000 after that party had won the 2000 general elections.
Addressing the ceremony after lighting the perpetual flame which signifies the perpetuity of the principles of probity, accountability, social justice, equal rights as espoused by the ruling NDC, Rawlings called for divine guidance for President John Dramani Mahama to be able to deliver on his mandate successfully as president.
“I pray that God provides President Mahama with the wisdom to pick men and women of integrity to man his administration and the courage to ‘prevent leeches, parasites, thieves and liars from taking refuge” in his government,” Rawlings said, wishing the president well as he prepares to be sworn into office as Ghana’s next president and head of the sixth government of Ghana’s fourth Republic.
He also urged Ghanaians to devote some time to deal with the sanitation situation in the country next year.
“I would like to use this occasion to appeal to Ghanaians that if we can brace ourselves to do the things we want to do in 2013, then we should commit a little more energy to the fighting of the unsanitary and unhygienic situation in the country,” Rawlings urged.
Typhoid, according to Rawlings should not have been so rampant in Ghana as it had become, but for the unhygienic conditions.
“No one is safe from typhoid because there is so much fluidity and interaction among us. Let us do everything possible to contain this scourge. We don’t need it,” he called.
Annually a solemn ceremony is held at the Revolution Square opposite the Flag-Staff House, official presidential edifice to commemorate the 31st December Revolution.
Participating in the ceremony were Sherry Aryitey, the Minister for Environment, Science and Technology, Joseph Nii Laryeah Afotey-Agbo Greater Accra Regional Minister and Nii Amassah Namoale, Deputy Minister for Food and Agriculture as well as National security Coordinator, Col. (Rtd) Larry Gbevlo-Lartey, David Assuming, Member of Parliament for Shai-Osudoku and other high dignitaries of government.
Deputy General Secretary of the NDC, Kofi Adams said the day was significant because it reminded Ghanaians of the principles of probity, accountability, and social justice as the NDC stands for.
The ruling party’s constitution lists 31st December as one of its special days in addition to June 4 when Rawlings first came to power, while the red, white and black colors form the foundation of the ruling party’s colors with green added as a sign of renewal. Enditem.
Source: Justice Lee Adoboe.
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