THE PSEUDO REVOLUTION IN GHANA (1979/1981)

It was on June 4th 1979 where the country saw another coup d'état. This time round it was called "Revolution" yes!!! the leaders of this uprising called it a revolution. On May 15th Mr. Rawlings attempted coup and was arrested waiting to be executed by the Akkufo led administration. The rise of junior officers was an attempt to clean the tainted image of the Ghana Armed Forces and send a clear signal that, the rightful place for the military is the barracks. The already disintegrated Ghanaian Army had lost its image in the eyes of the ordinary Ghanaian and so, the rise of the junior officers were celebrated by all because it marked the dawn of new era where coups would be a thing of the past.

But the question is, are this junior officers led by Rawlings true revolutionaries?🤔🤔🤔

revolution, in social and political science, a major, sudden, and hence typically violent alteration in government and in related associations and structures. The term is used by analogy in such expressions as the Industrial Revolution, where it refers to a radical and profound change in economic relationships and technological conditions.
-Britannica

Then question that needs to be answered is, what was revolutionary about June 4th 1979? Dare to say, the revolution was a pseudo one.
The rise of Rawlings and the Armed Forces Revolution Council (AFRC) saw the killing of several military offices and civilians who were deemed as corrupt , greedy and anti-revolutionaries. The AFRC conducted its operations with impunity and extra judicial killings with the use of Kangaroo courts and perpetrated heinous crimes in the name of revolution.

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WHY PSEUDO REVOLUTION??

THE EMERGENCE OF PNDC- The coming of PNDC in 31st December 1981 killed the idea of sending the military to the barracks and defeated thee whole idea of the 1979 atrocities. The Army sign a pact with Ghanaians by killing officers who had been involved in coup actions for years and indirectly used their blood to atone for the sins committed. The so called revolutionaries told us that the Army has no place in governance yet, they turn back on their word and toppled a weak civilian government led by Dr. Hilla Liman. The PNDC promised probity, accountability ,transparency and social justice The PNDC that metamorphosed to NDC threw these principle to the gutters yet, they masquerade and parade themselves as revolutionaries that needs to be celebrated.

CORRUPTION- Corruption has been one of the reasons for toppling regimes in Ghana and the antidote to this we were told by the so called revolutionaries is the cleansing and overhaul of our political architecture. The AFRC/PNDC abhors corruption and used it as an excuse to capture power yet, corruption was not rooted out neither was it minimized in the country.It has now become systemic and endemic suffocating the ordinary Ghanaian. If indeed there was a proper revolution, the signs and symptoms that led to the military takeovers would not still be with us till date.

IMPUNITY- The same impunity with which the military conducted their exercise still leaves with us. The political class violates the law with the highest level of impunity yet, the poor citizen that violates the law is given hefty punishment. Despite the so called revolution, impunity is still part of the lexicon.
GOVERNANCE-Despite the so called revolution, there's no difference between the governance system that socialize cost and privatize wealth. Both our political and economic architecture has not change despite the killings in the past that ought to serve as a deterrent to later leaders. The governance structure that worship mediocre leadership is still in place and the rulers do not feel the need to be accountable to the people they rule over.

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In Conclusion, I believe the concept of revolution is not well understood by many use uses the term vaguely. The political incidents that took place in the 70s cannot be termed and describe as revolution because a proper revolution is that which yields the needed results like the Russian, American, French, Industrial, Cuban, Bolivian etc revolutions. The Russians was able to send the first man into space 70 years after its revolution. American revolution has yielded the system and structure of the modern day America.
Every revolutions has a legacy it bequeath to its people but in the case of Ghana, the only legacy left is corruption, greed, impunity, poor working attitude, docile citizens. The nest time you thick about revolution in Ghana, remember that ours was nothing but a PSEUDO REVOLUTION