Ignatius Kutu Acheampong ( ; (23 September 1931 – 16 June 1979) was the military head of state of Ghana from 13 January 1972 to 5 July 1978, when he was deposed in a palace coup. He was executed by firing squad on 16 June 1979.

Early life and education

Acheampong was born to Catholic parents of Ashanti origin. He attended the Roman Catholic schools at Trabuom and the St Peter's school (also Catholic) at Kumasi, both in the Ashanti Region of Ghana. He attended the then Central College of Commerce at Agona Swedru in the

Central Region of Ghana The Central Region is one of the sixteen administrative regions of Ghana. It is bordered by Ashanti and Eastern regions to the north, Western region to the west, Greater Accra region to the east, and to the south by the Gulf of Guinea. The Cen ...

. Acheampong worked as a stenographer/secretary at Timber Sawmill in Kumasi and later taught at Kumasi Commercial College, where he became Vice Principal at Agona-Swedru College of Commerce. He was commissioned in the Ghana Army in 1959, and served as a member of the UN peacekeepers during the Congo Crisis.

Politics

Acheampong led a bloodless ''coup d'état'' to overthrow the democratically elected government of the Progress Party and its leader Dr

Kofi Busia Kofi Abrefa Busia (born 11 July 1913 – 28 August 1978) was a Ghanaian political leader and academic who was Prime Minister of Ghana from 1969 to 1972. As a nationalist leader and prime minister, he helped to restore civilian government to the ...

on 13 January 1972. He became head of state and chairman of the National Redemption Council (NRC), which was later transformed into the Supreme Military Council on 9 October 1975, with Colonel Acheampong (promoted to General) as its chairman. He proposed a 'Union Government' which means that, there would be power sharing between the civilian and the armed forces. This led to students demonstrations and closure of universities in Ghana. The violent clashes between pro and anti UNIGOV factions led to the death of at least four people in Kumasi. Notable historical changes and events introduced or implemented in Ghana during the period under Acheampong include: the change from the imperial to the metric system of measurement, change from driving on the left to right-hand traffic in "Operation Keep Right", "Operation Feed Yourself" (a programme aimed at developing self-reliance in agriculture), "National Reconstruction" (aimed at promoting employment and skill for workers), face-lift projects in cities, and the reconstruction/upgrading of stadia to meet international standards. There were, however, widespread accusations of both the encouragement and endorsement of corruption in the country under his rule. A few months after Acheampong came to power, on 27 April 1972, former president

Kwame Nkrumah Kwame Nkrumah (born 21 September 190927 April 1972) was a Ghanaian politician, political theorist, and revolutionary. He was the first Prime Minister and President of Ghana, having led the Gold Coast to independence from Britain in 1957. An in ...

died in exile. Power in Ghana had changed hands several times since Nkrumah was overthrown, and Acheampong allowed Nkrumah's body to be returned and buried on 9 July 1972 at the village of his birth,

Nkroful Nkroful is a village in the Ellembelle District, a district in the Western Region of south Ghana, located near Axim in the Nzema East Municipal of the Western Region.

, Ghana.

Execution

Acheampong was court martialed and executed along with General Edward Kwaku Utuka by firing squad on 16 June 1979. Ten days later, two other former heads of state,

Akwasi Afrifa Lieutenant General Akwasi Amankwaa Afrifa Born (24 April 1936 – 26 June 1979) was a Ghanaian soldier, farmer, traditional ruler and politician. He was the head of state of Ghana and leader of the military government in 1969 and then chairman o ...

and Fred Akuffo, and senior military officers Joy Amedume, George Boakye, Roger Joseph Felli and Robert Kotei, were executed following the 4 June military uprising that brought Flight Lieutenant

Jerry John Rawlings Jerry John Rawlings (22 June 194712 November 2020) was a Ghanaian military officer and politician who led the country for a brief period in 1979, and then from 1981 to 2001. He led a military junta until 1992, and then served two terms as the de ...

and the AFRC to power who were young officers. The AFRC brought Ghana back to civilian rule in September 1979 three months after the uprising.

Personal life

Acheampong was married to

Faustina Acheampong Faustina Acheampong ( ) was the First Lady of the Republic of Ghana from 1972 to 1978. She was the spouse of General Ignatius Kutu Acheampong, Chairman of the National Redemption Council and Supreme Military Council and Head of state of Ghana f ...

. His grandson is an American football player

Charlie Peprah Charles Yaw Peprah (born February 24, 1983) is a former American football safety and current football scout. He played college football at Alabama. Peprah was drafted by the New York Giants in the fifth round of the 2006 NFL Draft. He has also b ...

. His other Grandson is 6'9 Fulham FC striker Yakini Acheampong. His parents were James Kwadwo Kutu Acheampong and Madam Akua Manu

References

External links