General Kutu Acheampong, gatecrash into the scene on January 13, 1972, some fifty-three years ago, after overthrowing a constitutional government.
Acheampong’s coup was hailed by Nkrumah who remarked that even though he disapproved of coups he was happy that the socialists were back. Acheampong ruled Ghana for only six years and was overthrown in a palace coup on July 5, 1978. Yet his achievements surpassed Rawlings who ruled Ghana for nineteen uninterrupted years.
Acheampong embarked on Operation Feed Yourself, to boost self-sufficiency in food production; under him, Ghana shifted from imperial to metric system on September 1, 1975; Ghana changed traffic from left-hand to right-hand on August 4, 1974; Acheampong embarked on National Reconstruction to promote employment and on infrastructural development with the aim at modernizing the nation, among others.
Acheampong built modern townships like Dansoman and Teshie Nungua Estates and he also begun the construction of the second hydro-electric project, the Kpong Hydro-Electric dam, located at Natriku, near Akuse, before he was overthrown.
The economy under Acheampong could not be said to be terrible in comparison to today’s real term. When he took over the dollar was $1.00 to N¢1.80, but he revalued the currency to $1.00 to N¢1.28. In February 1973, the US dollar was devalued but Acheampong decided to maintain the value of the cedi in terms of gold and our currency appreciated to $1.00 to N¢1.15. In March 1973, he reverted to the old name of our currency, removing the ‘New,’ from it. After his overthrow the cedi was devalued to $1.00 to ¢2.75. So, we may safely say that the cedi depreciated by 9.5% during Acheampong’s six and a half years in office.
Unemployment rate was on average 5.64% and inflation rate was 10.2% in 1972 and rose to 73.09% in 1978, averaging 29.54%.
The economy at that time faced some challenges with scarcity of products on the market. Politically, Acheampong wanted to legally extend his stay with the Union Government concept, but faced serious opposition. During the referendum, it was revealed that absolute rigging took place to support the “Yes” vote. That rigging, was however nothing compared to what took place during the One-Party state referendum during the first republic.
Acheampong started making enemies and so in July 5, 1978, his own colleagues toppled him and went ahead to make all the necessary preparations to return this country to constitutional rule, when Rawlings struck on June 4, 1979.
Clearly, the question is, was June 4, necessary? As stated in a book by Col. Abaka Jackson and from interviews granted Major (Rtd) Boakye Gyan, the socialist boys in the military had all along been planning to overthrow any government at all and re-instate Nkrumahism in Ghana. So, any such coup would not be intended to remove a failing government. This had been confirmed by some other serving military personnel at that time.
And June 4, according to Major (Rtd) Boakye Gyan, came too early; Rawlings jumped the gun. The Nkrumaists who were junior officers at that time were waiting to be promoted to senior officers, in a matter of a few more years, then they would strike. But Rawlings could not wait. The position taken by the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council was not to kill any officer. But Rawlings first sanctioned the murder of General Acheampong and General Edward Utuka on June 16, 1979.
His colleagues were in rage and some warned him not to go ahead with any more killings.
According to sources, most of the other ranks who benefited from the generosity of Acheampong, were not too pleased and demanded that more officers should then be killed. And so, still against the decision of his colleagues on the AFRC, Rawlings sanctioned the murder of six more, including Gen. Afrifa who was cleared of any corruption and stood and won the Mampong North parliamentary seat on June 18, 1979.
Ghanaians were made to understand that the crimes the fallen heroes committed included over-throwing constitutional governments, using their official position to borrow money from the bank, among other unconfirmed acts of corruption.
In the case of Afrifa, Rawlings claimed he used money meant for organising the Movement for Freedom and Justice to dismantle the Union Government’s idea, to push his political agenda. Gen Utuka on the other hand had to be killed for ethnic balance. Rawlings said he did not want the coup to be seen as ethnic cleansing. So, Utuka who was not an Ewe, but from the Volta Region, had to be killed to make people believe that two Ewes, the other was, Joy Amedume were on the list of the murdered officers.
So, in the strong breeze of the revolution, Ghanaians were made to believe that June 4, came to save this nation. However, about forty-three years later, Rawlings, knowing he was about to go and account for his stewardship on earth, made a confession, that all the eight officers were not guilty of any crime but had to be murdered as sacrificial lambs to spare the lives of the real crooks. He admitted that he knew this from Day One and it had been haunting him, ever since.
Today, Rawlings had left behind a nation very much divided on this June 4 issue. Based on his own admission on television, that he knew he was killing innocent people, some Ghanaians, rightly called him a murderer, others, even including full blooded Ewes, whose kinsman, Joy Amedume, was also murdered, would not take kindly to this label placed on Rawlings.
So, today is June 4 and it is most likely that some Ghanaians would like to remember it in grand style as the day of independence is remembered. Speeches will be made to justify the course of June 4, 1979 and we will be told of the economic and administrative mess Ghana was in, which warranted that coup.
Things that we will not be told include, the fact that Ghana was on its way to return to constitutional rule and nothing would be mentioned about that two-part Rawlings’ interview on Asaase FM, which he finally exonerated the eight officers, he murdered.
All across the country, in four Akan communities, people will mourn their loved ones and curse Rawlings. In Likpe Mate, Oti region, there shall be the same, as in Navrongo, Keta and Accra. So long as June 4, appears on the calendar, Ghanaians will remain divided, for on that day, an Abimelech made himself a king.
Rawlings came back against his word when in 1981, he overthrew a constitutional government; he then ruled for nineteen years, more than thrice Acheampong did, but he heralded us into the worst economic crisis with the cedi depreciating over 260,000% from ¢2.75 to $1.00 in 1981 to ¢7,631.00 to $1.00 in 2000. Inflation could break deep into the 100% barrier and unemployment rate cruised into the mid double digits.
His developmental projects could not match Acheampong’s and yet he is imposed on Ghanaians as our hero.
And of course, he had his hero who he would even murder anyone who tarnished his name. After describing Nkrumah as someone who could only give us a national anthem and a national flag, he went on to describe General Kotoka as a hero for removing Nkrumah and restoring democracy. And this is the one the Nkrumaists flocked to and called him Junior Jesus.
By the way, as we move on, June 4, shall forever divide this country.
Hon. Daniel Dugan
