One of the most controversial early decisions of former President John Agyekum Kufuor’s administration (2001–2009) was the effective ban placed on his predecessor, the late Flt Lt Jerry John Rawlings, from entering major military installations at Burma Camp in Accra.

The restriction began shortly after Kufuor took office in January 2001 and remained in force throughout his presidency.

The official reason: National security and Ghana’s coup history.

On April 25, 2001, JoyNews quoted Kufour during an evening news report, explaining the decision in clear terms.

“The nation’s coup-making history clearly shows that most of the coup d’états were hatched and executed from the Burma Camp… President Rawlings has been in power for about twenty years and with the trappings of power, his frequent visits to high-risk security zones like Burma Camp were not in the best interest of the nation.

“Although the country has now adopted democracy, coup d’états cannot be fully ruled out considering the fact that our democracy is still young.”

Also, John Agyekum Kufuor, while speaking in an interview with London-based West Africa Magazine in July 2002, told the former President Jerry John Rawlings in plain language that the Ghana Armed Forces did not belong to him.

The Kufuor government argued that Rawlings’ continued access to the barracks, especially to places where soldiers congregated, posed a risk that disgruntled or loyal elements in the military could be influenced or mobilised against the new civilian administration.

Burma Camp had historically been the epicentre of Ghana’s multiple coups in 1966, 1972, 1978, 1979, 1981, and Rawlings had twice seized power from there.

When JJ Rawlings handed over power on January 7, 2001, Ghana’s first peaceful transition between elected presidents, the Ghana Armed Forces were still heavily politicised after nearly two decades of AFRC/PNDC/NDC rule.

Many soldiers, particularly Non-Commissioned Officers (NCOs) and junior ranks, viewed Rawlings as “their” leader.

Key actions taken by the Kufuor administration that heightened tensions were the retirement of over 2,000 NCOs who had overstayed their service (some by 5–10 years).

These men blocked promotions for younger soldiers and occupied barracks accommodation. Rawlings publicly claimed the retirements were aimed at “removing my men.”

Rawlings labels Kufuor as worst constitutional terrorist he’s come across

Kufuor responded firmly in 2002, warning Rawlings to “stay away from the Ghanaian military” and stop “deluding himself that he was still president.”

He told the West Africa magazine that Rawlings’ comments bordered on the “subversive” and reminded everyone that the Armed Forces owed allegiance to the state, not any individual.

Later incidents that reinforced the ban

In March 2003, Jerry John Rawlings was physically denied entry to Burma Camp when he tried to attend the funeral of his friend WO1 Isaac Frempong (“Red Light”).

It was the second such rejection. Earlier, the venue for another funeral (Brigadier Dr Deh) was reportedly shifted away from Burma Camp to avoid his presence.

Also in September 2008, the National Security Council extended the logic of the ban by prohibiting seven retired senior officers (including former army and police chiefs) from entering any military or police installation after they met Rawlings to discuss election security.

The government stated that the original ban on Rawlings himself “remains in force.”

Rawlings’ side of the story

Rawlings and his aides consistently described the bans as “absurd,” “paranoid,” and politically motivated.

His spokesman in 2008, during an interview, called the actions those of “a guilty and desperate New Patriotic Party (NPP) government incapable of facing elections without fraud and violence.”

They argued that the real motive was to isolate Rawlings and prevent him from maintaining contact with serving personnel who still held him in high regard.

Kufuor’s government succeeded in keeping the barracks off-limits to Rawlings and Ghana experienced no coup attempts during his eight years in office, the first time since independence that a civilian government completed two full terms without a military intervention.

Today, the episode is remembered as one of the sharpest early tests of civil-military relations under the Fourth Republic, a reminder that even in a maturing democracy, the shadow of Ghana’s coup-ridden past can still shape high-level decisions.

NA/AE

Meanwhile, watch GhanaWeb’s exposé on the 'dark side of Kayamata' and its devastating impact