Major (rtd) Kwadwo Boakye Djan who planned the June 4, 1979, military coup with other junior officers that brought Flight Lieutenant Jerry John Rawlings to power in Ghana, has reiterated that the event was not worth celebrating because of the bloody excesses.
Rather, he thinks it should just be a solemn commemorative event.
In a radio interview on the occasion of the 41st anniversary of the uprising, and when he was asked for a comment on whether or not he has been engaging in conversations with Mr Rawlings, Boakye Djan said he has not spoken to Mr Rawlings for the past 41 years.
"Let me tell you and your listeners that for the past 41 years I have not spoken" to Jerry John Rawlings, "even though I was his best man before that," he said in the radio interview with Accra based Okay FM on Thursday morning, which was monitored by Graphic Online.
Asked if they were at loggerheads, Boakye Djan said Rawlings went out to remove a democratically elected government on 31st December 1981 that they [Rawlings and Boakye Djan] put in place and for which they [coup makers] organised sanctions against those who had earlier ousted Kwame Nkrumah and the other democratically elected government [Busia's government].
"So he [Rawlings] put himself in a position precisely in what [General] Akuffo and others found themselves and you know in law, they say crime has no time limit."
Major (rtd) Boakye Djan said he believes that Mr Rawlings has to be held to account for the 31st December 1981 coup as the last man standing and insisted he has to answer for overthrowing President Hilla Liman's regime [3rd Republic] which was a constitutionally elected regime.
He said they [Boakye Djan and Rawlings] put Liman there and for him [Rawlings] to turn around and oust Liman was something he [Djan] does not accept.
Let's commemorate June 4th solemnly - Boakye Djan
On how the June 4th uprising should be recognised in Ghana's history and commemorated, Boakye Djan said some have said it is not worth celebrating but it should rather be commemorated because people died, "eight Generals were executed and many other soldiers died in the bloody confrontation."
He said acts of war are not celebrated and that even in Britain, the whole royal family goes to the cenotaph once a year to solemnly commemorate the death of all those who died in the first and second world wars.
“I think the time has come for us to start doing something like that in this country.”
He said the noise with the commemoration of June 4th should be looked at and that “there were dangerous gaps in the knowledge of some people . . . and we need to sit down and think properly and do it and stop making politics with it because June 4th is a guarantor of our democracy.”
He said June 4th has guaranteed the long constitutional rule that Ghana has witnessed since 1992.
Source: Daily Graphic
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Has that changed our love for J J? The old boy is blessed and there is nothing u can do about it. U can continue to hate him for rest of your life. That will be your own neem cup of tea.
You have not spoken to JJ for 41 years so what? You have lost my respect totally since I heard you trumpeting "war" and "Violence" on Ghana if a voters register should be compiled. You are not the only coward old soldier in the country..
WE DON,t NEED YOUR LONG TALK AND EXCUSE PLEASE, BETTER GO AND find THE PLACE YOU BELONG TO-COWARD AND BRAGGING OLD MAN OF OUR GENERATION.REMEMBER ADJEI BOADI,s END AND WRITE DOWN YOUR OWN NOTES.
BOAKYE GYAN SEEMS TO HAVE REGRETTED TO SAVE RAWLLINGS . BUT FOR HIM, RAWLLINGS WOULD HAVE BEEN DEAD 41 YEARS AGO. NOW YOU ARE REGRETTING TO HAVE TAKEN THAT UNNECESSARY ACTION TO RESCUE RAWLLINGS, AND YOU WERE -F---00--00LLLED. YOU NOW HAVE SEEN YOUR SMOOTHNESS LEVEL. AFEI NA WO SU.
Explain how " you put Limann there".?Did you manipulate that election? Clarify,because you claim to be Nkrumahist so you were hell bent to impose a pro Nkrumah party, the PNP. You think Rawlings is the only person who has questions to answer.Start preparing your own answers.Coward!
How on earth can a once second "gentleman" in the AFRC regime be so incoherent in his submission? Most Ghanaians who saw and experienced what happened during the AFRC era will agree that the whole June 4 event is not worth celebrating under any circumstances whatsoever, whether noisily, jubilantly, or solemnly! The fallen heroes of the 1st and 2nd world wars he referred to stood against oppressors and saved humanity from a bleak future. On the other hand, The AFRC stood for hatred, anti-success, disorder, and recalcitrance, to say a few. He should also get it clear that General Akuffo did not state any coup d'etat in Ghana! It was rather the NRC, led by Kutu Acheampong, that staged a coup. General Akuffo and the other members of the SMC2 rather staged a palace "coup," which restored constitutional rule. How on earth can he say they are responsible for putting Liman in office? Unless he means they (the AFRC) rigged the election for Dr. Liman! Did I hear him say the AFRC ended military coups in Ghana? How can he say this and at the same time say Rawlings overthrew Liman? What a bundle of contradictions! He should be careful with history when on air so that he does not lose the little reputation he has. In short, he must watch his mouth because his recent utterances are becoming less appealing to the public.