Antwi-Danso slams Rawlings: "1981 coup obnoxious, needless"

The 1981 coup against President Hilla Limann was “obnoxious”, Senior Research Fellow at the Legon Centre for International Affairs and Diplomacy (LECIAD) at the University of Ghana, Dr Vladimir Antwi-Danso has said.

Flt. Lt. Jerry John Rawlings, on December 31, 1981, led a group of military officers to oust Dr. Limann after the late President’s investiture in September 1979.

At a public lecture to mark the 35th anniversary of Limann’s investiture, Dr Antwi-Danso said Limann became “a forgotten hero after the obnoxious coup”.

“…The press can quote me, I say that 1981 coup was obnoxious. It gave us nothing. It was uncalled for. There was no chaos. It was very uncalled for,” Antwi-Danso stressed.

“I’m sad because that is the one that redrew the contours of the CPP. It was a coup that has redrawn the contours of the CPP and impoverished the CPP. It has balkanised the CPP up to today,” he observed.

Rawlings ruled as a Military leader for about 11 years before contesting and winning two democratic elections as a civilian. Cumulatively, he led Ghana for almost two decades.