The history of people is only great and meaningful if those who achieve greater heights are honoured and celebrated by their fellow citizens aspiring to emulate their exploits.
Any attempt to bury the truth will undoubtedly wound and diminish their roots.
As the world gets smaller thanks to information technology, much data is released into the globe. Although excess information by itself isn’t a problem, truth could intertwine with falsehood and facts could be distorted by some to feed feeble minds.
Politics is the most vulnerable sector of human life because it deals with the beast of the human mind. This goes without saying that to do politics one must align unto the principles, ethics and philosophies that underpins the political tradition one chose to belong.
The Resilience of President Rawlings towards a good leadership spirit is not only because of his profound understanding of the impact of ethical politics but also because he is pretty aware of how the free world runs. It’s no secret that bigger nations easily derail African leaders by luring them into flashy deals that end up leaving theirs countries in economic shackles. During his reign he fought this tendency because he believes in what Ghana is worth and what we can do and achieve as a nation.
It will require morally and ethically grounded leaders with a spirit of unchangeable love for the nation to fight and overcome this old global trend. What our people need is not only development but a development that can be sustainable for a very long time. We may be counting figures and talking about a growing GDP when we are building on sand. NDC has one main objective and that is to serve Ghana. When the party was founded, it had a vision born from the mind of its visionary leader. To fulfill that vision, Rawlings, together with his compatriots, stipulated and setup guiding principles so that the vision would remain alive in the spirit of every NDC member and especially the leaders.
Any strategy or plan to lead the party that may not be aligned with the vision will not yield the fruits of patriotism needed to propel the country to its glory and if at all it does, it may not last. Patriotism demands that the nation be put first and the ancestors or founders be honoured as representation of the nation. It goes without saying that NDC cannot but revisit its founding principles that is still very much alive in their father, if the young leaders of the party really want to lead the party to her true destiny. The world is justified for labelling JJ Rawlings as an exceptional leader. His legacy is unique and no one can dispute the facts. It’s part of human trait to cry over what we lost because we don’t always appreciate the precious things whiles we have them. It is high time the members of the NDC party immortalized this hero of ours and learn about the ideals that engraved his name in the African book of legends.
If the mistakes of the NDC party will ever be corrected, I mean if NDC must realigned unto its founding principles of probity, accountability, integrity and social justice, it will require the wisdom of looking into the life and works of the founder Flt. Lt. J.J. Rawlings and emulate his ideals without fail. It is the antidote needed to mend the wings of the party and forge a brighter future for not only the NDC, but for Ghana at large. The revolution of the June 4, 1979 was not only essential but providential as well. The revolution set the pace for a solid democracy in Ghana and like never before, Ghana stands tall on the list of democratic nations in the world, and leads the continent thanks to the political stability it enjoys.
We cannot forget so soon our heroes of the June 4th revolution that set the pace for our stability. The revolution is the very foundation of NDC. Every year, from every nook and cranny of our land, NDC members and sympathizers commemorate and celebrate the legacy of this living legend. The truth of the matter is, very few revolutions in the world are commemorated because only a handful were propelled by the spirit of love for humanity. Ours was a revolution that was necessary to crush the forces of darkness that engulfed our nation in every facet at that time, leaving us begging for bread while our gold and other natural resources were used to build edifices in European nations.
For the first time since the era of Ghana’s first President Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, Ghanaians embrace the true patriotic spirit of living for the greater good by uniting in the spirit of the revolution and giving a dead blow to mediocrity, corruption and dependency. The pathos of the June 4th must always remind us that these ills are not welcomed in our land. Thus, turning to learn from our father will definitely link us with the spirit of the vision and the revolution that changed Ghana forever. Hopefully, in the future, when history will be rewritten, the June 4th commemorations will be celebrated by all and sundry in Ghana. This day will undoubtedly remain a great pride for the NDC party for generations to come.
As we celebrate this momentous event in the annals of our country’s history, let us reconnect with the vision of our founder and embrace the ideals of probity, accountability and social justice that forms the bedrock of our birth as a formidable party capable of political dominance if things are done right.
God bless you and God bless our motherland Ghana.
Author: Dr. Donald Cog Senanu Agumenu
The writer is the Secretary General, African Project and Programme Management Association, Global Advisor and a Member of Global and Presidential Board and Advisory Council of International Board of Standards and the American Academy of Project Management (AAPM), President, International Association for People and Performance Development in charge of Africa. donaldcogan@yahoo.com