Senseless nonsense! – What Ghana’s Prime Minister said in his first interview after coup in 1972

After being accused of abuse of power, malpractices and arbitrary arrests, Ghana’s Prime Minister under the Second Republic; Dr. Kofi Abrefa Busia was overthrown by the military led by young Colonel Ignatius Kutu Acheampong.

Despite his strong executive powers, there were questions about his ability to control his party, take the country out of its economic woes at the time, and to deal with the increasing ethnic and political bitterness.

On January 13, 1972, while Dr. Busia was in London for medical reasons, his government was overthrown.

After his overthrow, Dr. Busia was interviewed by a London-based media outlet. In this interview, he described the coup as ‘senseless nonsense’ while pledging his resolution to restoring order to power.

“I am the elected head of the government of Ghana, there has not been an election, there has only been an adventure by a small band of military people stationed in Accra.

“My information is that the coup hasn’t got nationwide support. There has not been a single person detained in the two years that I have been in office and these preposterous charges, I think anybody in Ghana who knows me knows the truth and knows that this is senseless nonsense,” he said.

Dr. Busia also expressed certainty about the failure of the coup and restoration of calm and peace.

“I am not saying what I’m going to do except that I will not let my people down and they will still know my next move.

“I have no doubt that it will fail,” he said.

Watch the full interview below: