Politicians who serve their nation should not only be considered as heros. The soldiers who also fight hard to overthrow those who went to power by military coup, as a means of protecting the nation, must be honored as good patriots.
Many times people intend to honor politicians who argued for democratic government during times of military government by rewarding them for their courageous utterances for paving way for a democratic government. The truth of the matter is, we have great military personnel that are against coup plotters within the military services. They believe that it is unwise for a military person to takeover a country and rule. They believe military are there only to protect the country and its boundaries against foreign invaders, but not to govern the country. As a result of this many Ghanaian military officers who have sacrifices their lives during the PNDC error, fighting for Ghanaians to overthrow the autocratic PNDC government must be honored. If a coup maker like Jerry Rawlings whom many regard as their hero is honored and enjoying taxpayer’s money, then those officers who try to liberate Ghana from the hands of this autocratic regime PNDC must be honored as well.
Many Ghanaians will remember 19th June 1983 On that Sunday morning the formal navy lieutenant officer, Okyere who comes from an affluent family of the late Nana Adu tutu II; the managing director of Oyoko contractors who believe the country should be governed only by an elected president who is the people choice. The fact is when Jerry Rawlings took over the country this naval officer who was in top of his class was awarded a scholarships to attend school at the naval Royal academe in London for studies. This individual scarifies his life by honoring his military obligations to protect the nation from the autocrats must be honored.
Many of them had tried previously to overthrow the PNDC but failed. This naval officer was able to come through the ToGo border with two of his military friends Malik and Musa on June 19th to breake the Nswam jail to free Adabuga, Giwaa & co. Giwaa claimed to have made that coup but it was not him, but the navy lieutenant. This navy lieutenant who took these bold initiatives to unfetter the nation from PNDC hands with his friends must be honored under all circumstances. They were not doing this for power or money but just to remove this tyrannical government from power. These individuals are not criminals but they were fighting to protect our nation and fulfill their military allegiance. These officers have suffered financially and other family social relationships all due to their military obligations by protecting the nation from the hands of their fellow greedy military officers who are coup plotters. In fact, if one look at the peer pressure they put on the PNDC autocratic government regime, it was their efforts that forced Jerry Rawlings to move and form NDC party and hand the country over to the current administration. These officers must be honored with their ranks in the Army including their pensions and other benefits they deserve. The former major Oppong Addia, a man who has scarified his entire life as a military intelligent officer, was chased out of the country by Jerry Rawlings PNDC autocratic government, should be honored. This Major has done more for our nation than Jerry Rawlings. He has protected our nation as a solider is supposed to do. All these individuals plus those who went into the exile due to their fighting for our country must be honored.
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