Former President Jerry John Rawlings has stirred controversy once again saying the English language has been used opportunistically to intimidate and promote falsehood as well as degrade the essence and substance of Ghanaians.

Rather, he said “The spirituality and respect in the language of our culture evokes and demands integrity, accountability and transparency from us.”

In a virtual address to mark the June 4th uprising, former President Rawlings said the spirituality and respect in the Ghanaian languages evokes and demands integrity, accountability and transparency from all Ghanaians.

This, however, he said “does not and cannot happen because the foreign and colonial language has been used opportunistically to intimidate and promote falsehood and degrade the essence and substance of our being.”

“Had we as a people carried our integrity and spirituality in our culture and language into the use of the administrative English language, a higher level of integrity would have been prevailing in Ghana and this continent and the quality of liberation would have enhanced our developmental efforts.

“The material and immaterial corruption in this country would not have undermined our ability and capabilities to the extent where the authority of truth would have been so badly undermined by the corrupted truth of authority”, he emphasized.

Furthermore, he pointed out that “History, it is often said, repeats itself whenever we refuse to learn most especially from adversities and volcanic and near bloody eruptions. We have many dedicated and learned men and women who could provide leadership at various levels to the benefit of this country.

“The very ordinary people in Ghana are not unwise about issues and developments in this country.

“We are, however, as a learned group unable to bring the best out of our people. The inability of our people to communicate with us in the administrative English language puts them at a disadvantage and makes them unable to demand accountability and transparency from us.