Ghana’s chequered history of military takeovers has been revisited over the past few days, following the announcement of a plan by the government to rename the Kotoka International Airport, which was named after Lieutenant Colonel Emmanuel Kwasi Kotoka.

Kotoka was the man who masterminded the first coup in Ghana, which ousted Ghana’s first President, Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah, and was followed by about four other military takeovers.

The eras of coup d'états saw so much chaos and bloodshed, which Ghana as a country would not like to revisit. The last coup, for instance, saw about eight generals who participated in previous coups being killed.

After the late president and military leader, Jerry John Rawlings, assumed office for the first time through a coup d'état in 1979, he caused the arrest of some senior military officers in the Ghana Armed Forces.

Some of the senior military officers who were arrested also served as Ghana's heads of state after earlier overthrowing civilian leaders such as Kofi Abrefa Busia, among others.

The eight generals killed by a firing squad in 1979, which was approved by the late Flight Lt. Jerry John Rawlings, has become a national topic even to date.

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Here are the eight military generals killed in 1979:

General Ignatius Kutu Acheampong:

General Ignatius Kutu Acheampong was born on September 23, 1931. He was a military officer and a politician who served as the head of state from January 13, 1972, after a successful coup overthrowing civilian President Kofi Abrefa Busia.

Gen Kutu Acheampong remained in power for six years before his removal by a fellow military officer, Gen. Fred Akuffo.

After his removal, Gen. Kutu Acheampong, who was once a teacher before joining the Ghana Armed Forces, lived a private life until the late Jerry John Rawlings ordered his arrest in 1979 for corruption-related cases.

Gen. Acheampong was pronounced guilty after the hearing and was sentenced to death by a firing squad.

The former military head of state died at the age of 47 after being shot to death at Teshie by a firing squad on June 16, 1979.

Gen Akwasi Amankwaa Afrifa:

Gen Akwasi Afrifa was born on April 24, 1936. He was a farmer, a traditional ruler, and a politician.

The military general was married to Christiane Afrifa, and together they had nine children.

Gen Akwasi Afrifa played a pivotal role in the February 1966 coup against the first president, Dr Kwame Nkrumah.

He, together with E. K. Kotoka, after a successful coup and assuming power, brought in more senior military officers such as Gen. Joseph Ankrah to lead the country.

Akwasi Afrifa took over as head of state after the resignation of General Joseph Ankrah in 1969.

He was also the leader of the military government in 1969 and the then chairman of the Presidential Commission between 1969 and 1970.

Gen Afrifa governed from 1969 to 1972 and handed power to Dr Kofi Busia as the second democratically elected president of Ghana.

Afrifa then retired from the army and engaged mainly in farming. He also took part in politics. He contested and won the parliamentary elections at Mampong.

He was arrested on his farm at Mampong under orders of Jerry Rawlings. Gen. Afrifa was detained, tried by a Special Court Martial on charges of corruption while in office, and sentenced to death by firing squad under the approval of Rawlings.

Gen Afrifa was killed on June 26, 1979, 10 days after the execution of Gen. Ignatius Acheampong.

His body was buried without ceremony at the Nsawam Prison Cemetery in Ghana.

General William Fred Kwasi Akuffo:

General William Fred Kwasi Akuffo served as the last head of state before Rawlings took over in 1979. Born in March 1937, Gen. Fred Akuffo took over from General Acheampong through a coup led by him.

After assuming office, a coup was staged against him, which was led by Jerry John Rawlings. The coup led by Rawlings was unsuccessful and, due to that, Gen. Fred Akuffo asked for the arrest of Jerry Rawlings and his associates.

Rawlings and his associates were pronounced guilty and sentenced to death by firing squad by the military court martial. While in detention awaiting the approval of Fred Akuffo for their execution, a group of junior officers broke into the detention facility and freed Jerry Rawlings and others.

They then caused the removal of General Akuffo and the enthronement of Rawlings as the new military head of state of Ghana.

Jerry John Rawlings, after assuming office, then ordered the arrest of Gen. Fred Akuffo for corruption-related cases. He was then sentenced to death by firing squad.

In June 1979, he was tied to the stakes and shot at the Teshie Military Range in Ghana.

At the time of his execution in 1979, he was just 42 years old. He was married to Emily Akuffo.

Maj General Robert Kotey:

General Robert Kotey was among the military officers sentenced to death by firing squad under the late Jerry John Rawlings.

He was married to Nancy Kotey, and together they had nine children. He was 43 at the time of his death.

Kotey was the Commissioner for Information in the government of General Ignatius Acheampong. He served as Commissioner for Housing and also the Chief of Defence Staff under Gen. Fred Akuffo.

When Jerry Rawlings seized power from General Fred Akuffo, he announced that all former political office holders should report to the nearest police stations.

Gen. Kotey surrendered himself to the officer in charge of the Achimota Police Station in Ghana.

Reports indicate that Gen. Kotey was tried by the military court martial, and on June 26, 1979, he was executed by firing squad.

He was also buried at the Nsawam Prison Cemetery without ceremony, just like other military officers executed under Rawlings.

Colonel Roger Felli:

Born in May 1941, Colonel Roger Felli was the youngest military officer executed under Jerry John Rawlings.

Col Roger served as Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1975 to 1979. He also held several appointments, including Commissioner for Works and Housing.

He was commissioned in 1963 as a second lieutenant in the Ghana Army upon completion of his military training in Ghana and the United Kingdom.

On June 26, 1979, Roger Felli was lined up along with other top-ranking military officers and executed by firing squad at the Teshie Military Range on the outskirts of Ghana. Roger Felli was buried without ceremony at the Nsawam Prison Cemetery.

He died at the age of 38 at the time of his execution.

Vice Marshal George Boakye:

Vice Marshal George Boakye was born on December 25, 1937. Married to Beatrice Safo Boakye, he served as Commander of the Ghana Air Force and a member of the Supreme Military Council of Ghana under General Ignatius Acheampong.

As Commander of the Air Force, Flight Lieutenant Jerry Rawlings was a junior officer to him. When Jerry took over as military head of state, one of the persons arrested and detained was Vice Marshal George Boakye.

On June 26, 1979, he was lined up and executed along with other high-ranking military officers. At the time of his execution, he was 41 years old.

Rear Admiral Joy Amedume:

Rear Admiral Joy served as the Chief of Naval Staff before he was arrested and detained on charges of corruption.

He was also part of the military officers who were shot on June 26, 1979.

His body was buried without the usual military ceremonies.

General Edward Kwaku Utuka:

General Utuka was a high-ranking military officer who had received training at home and abroad. He was posted on several military assignments, and when the military took over the reins of power in Ghana, Utuka became an integral part of the military government.

Rawlings considered him corrupt and ordered his arrest and detention. He was executed on the same day as General Ignatius Acheampong and was, therefore, one of the first two persons executed by the Rawlings administration.

The bodies of the military generals buried without military ceremonies were released to their families for proper burials during the tenure of President John Agyekum Kufuor after the wives of these generals petitioned for a proper burial in 2000.

#TrendingGH: Watch some Ghanaians react to proposed renaming of Kotoka International Airport:



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