SPEECH DELIVERED BY DAN ABODAKPI ON THE OCCASION OF JUNE 4 UPRISING 2020 CELEBRATION TITLED: STRENTHENING THE SPIRIT OF PATRIOTISM, RESILIENCE AND INTEGRITY IN DIFFICULT TIMES
Distinguished Comrades, and fellow Compatriots, this year’s celebration of the glorious June 4 uprising is taking place at a time that is both crucial and critical for humankind across the globe as COVID-19 continues to relentlessly assault the human resource and economies of both developed and developing world.
As the nations of the world scramble in panic to find a possible antidote to this irrepressible hidden enemy which does not differentiate between races, creed or classes in its inexorable march towards destruction, I believe that it is only that indomitable spirit of Resilience in Man that continues to give us hope of survival. It is that spirit of resilience and positive defiance that is providing the courage, determination and conviction that this unseen ‘Enemy’ will also eventually be subdued and overcome.
Comrades, at this difficult juncture of our lives, however, humanity’s victory is hugely dependent on the type of leadership that our Leaders provide. Unfortunately, whilst we are under siege the world over by the COVID-19 VIRUS, we are also witnessing unprecedented levels of ARROGANCE of POWER by duty bearers across our Political, Public, Traditional and or Civil administrative structures of governance. In our country Ghana today, Leaders of all categories are either forgetting or are refusing to remember that SOVEREINGTY resides in the people and that ultimately all leaders must be ACCOUNTABLE to the people.
Duty bearers at the various sectors of our socio-economic fabric ought to bear in mind that the offices they occupy are not ends in themselves but meant to achieve the greater good of the people. It is the refusal of these duty bearers to acknowledge this fact that result in chaos and upheavals of which history is replete with concrete examples to guide the present generation.
Fellow Compatriots, before our very eyes the so called greatest democracy is dithering most dangerously into chaos because of the overbearing postures of political leadership and a complete drift towards ‘ANOCRACY’ in which leaders, instead of keeping to the tested and hallowed principles of ‘GOVERNMENT FOR THE PEOPLE AND BY THE PEOPLE are surreptitiously replacing it with a system that is PART DEMOCRACY AND PART DICTATORSHIP.
Comrades and Compatriots, June 4 1979 is unique in our history because it forcefully drove home the point that those Governing Must be Accountable to the Governed at all times. Apart from the Governed holding Duty bearers Accountable, another key and critical good governance principle worthy of note is PARTICIPATORY DEMOCRACY.
Thanks to the June 4 and 31st December Revolutions, certain key structures of participatory Democracy were captured into our National Constitution particularly PARLIAMENT, MUNICIPAL/DISTRICT ASSEMBLIES AND UNIT COMMITTEES. Regrettably, these important structures have been systematically rendered ineffective or completely insignificant through the over concentration of power in the Executive, in this case THE PRESIDENT. This is why our Governance system has virtually become ANOCRATIC. This is why 41years after that bold and glorious uprising when the Ranks and some few Young Officers took upon themselves that most courageous, altruistic and patriotic challenge to CLEAN UP and RESTORE the SHIP OF STATE BUOYED IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
Fellow Compatriots, our Country seems to be slipping off its moor into trouble seas! There is deep seated cynicism among our body polity because of perceived arrogance of power and absence of true participation and political compromise. Let me add quickly here that we have travelled this far because of the far reaching political/democratic compromises that we have made since the advent of the 4th Republic even in fashioning our Electoral System!
Distinguished Comrades, and fellow Compatriots, as we mark this landmark occasion, let us be guided by the events of 41years ago, and work hard to make our Governance System truly Democratic and not ANOCRATIC for that is the surest way through which we can build a sustained National Team Spirit and the needed Esprit de Corps in order to confront and overcome current and future challenges. Let us continue to observe the necessary protocols toward keeping safe from COVID-19 because the challenges ahead would require that we are one hundred percent fit.
Thank you for your attention, Comrades!
