J.J. celebrates 31st coup

Former President Rawlings is still consummate in the ideals of the 31st December coup-an event which suffered identity and acceptability crisis at birth and was only accepted by a section of Ghanaians after it had cunningly been christened “Holy War or Revolution” to depict a major clean up of the decayed body-politic.

Former President J.J. Rawlings

And despite the outlawing of the occasion by the country’s Supreme Court, the former President who superintended the 11 year military junta-the Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC) of that era, last Thursday, December 31st 2009, celebrated the 28th anniversary of the occasion with other trusted allies from the Cadres group that sprout out during the period.

It was on the theme: “The Spirit of the 31st December Revolution, The Better Ghana Agenda.”

Before the Thursday programme, ex-President Rawlings himself paid a visit to the Flagstaff House in the morning of December 30th 2009, to inspect preparations being made for the occasion. The former President was utterly surprised to find out that nothing had been done by way of preparations.

He was accompanied by long standing military ally, retired Army General, Arnold Quainoo, who is now a member of the Council of State; Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings, the president of the 31st December Women’s Movement, the Women’s Wing of the revolution; Miss Sherry Hanny Aryitey, the Minister of Environment, Science and Technology and the Greater Accra Regional Minister, Ishmael Nii Armah Ashietey himself a cadre to the core.

Together with the security head of the Jubilee House, Emmanuel Amedeka, President Rawlings immediately organized a group of some members of the Jubilee House security detail to put the Flagstaff House in order for the celebration.

Mr Rawlings personally sent for a black paint from his residence at North Ridge to paint the place and within two hours the Flagstaff House was all ready for the celebration.

On 31st December the celebration started at the Flagstaff House where General Arnold Quainoo lit a flame to signify the commencement of the 28th anniversary celebration of the 31st December Revolution.

The former Army General also laid a wreath on behalf of the heroes who lost their lives during the heady revolutionary days which lasted from December 31st 1981 to January 6th 2003, with another high profile government appointee, Mr Ashietey, the Greater Accra Regional Minister, laying another of the four wreaths laid on the day.

The other two wreaths were laid by some two people, who TODAY’s findings established, were strong adherents of the 31st December Revolution.

Members of the 31st December Women’s Movement were fully represented at the occasion. They were clad in the attire and cloths that had inscriptions of the movement, pictures of the its president, Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings and her husband former President Rawlings.

The group together with the former 1st family then moved straight to Tema to complete formality speeches for the celebration.

Conspicuously missing from the gathering were other government functionaries, thus giving credence to the reported disagreements within government over the celebration of the occasion. Nonetheless some Rawlings adherents in the administration found their way to the celebration.

Speakers at the event included Dr Ayirebi Acquah, a former Secretary for the Central Region and Health in the Provisional National Defence Council military administration; Alhaji Huudu Yahaya, a former General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC); a Cadre Madam Cecilia Akueter and Nana Otuo Barima, also a Cadre.

A more sober Rawlings reminded the NDC administration of President Mills of its electoral pact with the party’s foot-soldiers and urged the President to make do with his campaign promise of helping them realise their dream of a better life.

He also said none within the NDC should delude themselves into thinking that the 2012 election was going to be rosy for the current administration if grass root participation which was the bedrock of the PNDC and the first administration of the NDC was ignored.

According to the former President, the 31st December Revolution rekindled the country’s motto of Freedom and Justice and wakened in the Ghanaian a renewed sense of patriotism and dedication and urged the many cadres who are adherents of the 31st Revolution to come out to talk about every evil acts being committed by the governing party.