The General Secretary of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketia is urging supporters of the party to hold dearly the principles of the June 4, 1979 revolution which is associated with the late former President, Jerry John Rawlings.
He said staying true to those principles of probity and accountability and prioritizing the national interest will be the best way to honour the memory of the former President.
The NDC scribe also said the best way of restoring the principles of Rawlings is to win the 2020 polls.
According to him, the NDC cannot implement the principles of its founder while in opposition.
“The principles of Rawlings are good, but they will be impotent if we are in opposition. So the best tribute to President Rawlings is to be committed to the rescue mission. So be fired up by the temporary demise of our founder to win this election and rescue this nation Ghana which was dear to his heart from the very ills he fought against all his life. Corruption today is worse than what he fought against on the occasion of June 4th. Nepotism today is worse than what occasioned the June 4th revolution. Let us fight to come to power. Let us revisit the idea of June 4th becoming one of the national holidays. We can only do this in power,” Mr. Nketia said.
The former President who is also the founder of the NDC died on Thursday, November 12, 2020, at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra after a short illness.
His death has left many in shock with tributes pouring in from across the world.
The NDC, the political party the former President founded organised a vigil in his honour at the Obra Spot in Accra on Sunday, November 15, 2020.
Mr. Asiedu Nketia who was addressing the gathering said Rawlings, while alive, rejected attempts to name state monuments after him and that he was rather more concerned that the citizens uphold principles of probity and accountability in governance.
“President Rawlings when he was alive, did not take pleasure in monuments being named after him. In fact, there were several occasions where he resisted the attempt to name monuments after him. His life also shows that he abhors ostentatious living and ostentatious funerals and ceremonies…He kept reminding us that the best tribute we can keep in his memory is to hold dearly the principles of June 4 based upon which the NDC was established,” he said.
Asiedu Nketia added that, “I believe strongly that the way to keep President Rawlings’ memory alive is to observe the principles of June 4, keep on practising what he cherished most and for my comrades in the cadre fraternity, for us to remind ourselves about the simple things he did to show that he cared for the fellow Ghanaians.”
Asiedu Nketia extolled the virtues of Rawlings, describing him as a servant leader who was constantly involved with the people.
He said Rawlings “showed in many ways that leadership is done by example.”
Asiedu Nektia also urged the NDC members in the various regions and constituencies to organise health walks and clean up exercises to honour the memory of Rawlings.
“We have to dedicate one day to undertake a massive clean-up exercise in remembrance of Rawlings and route marches. I believe that if this is done, President Rawlings will be smiling wherever he is now.”
