Fred Akuffo
Encyclopedia
Lieutenant General
Frederick William Kwasi Akuffo (21 March 1937 – 26 June 1979) was a soldier and politician. He is a former Chief of Defence Staff
of the Ghana Armed Forces
and the Head of state and chairman of the ruling Supreme Military Council
(SMC) in Ghana
from 1978 to 1979. He came to power in a military coup, was overthrown in another military coup and executed three weeks later.
in the Eastern Region
of Ghana. He completed his secondary education at the Presbyterian Boys' Secondary
School in 1955 at Odumase krobo, Ghana. He then enlisted in the Ghana Army and trained at the Royal Military Academy
, Sandhurst, UK among others. He was married to Mrs. Emily Akuffo. He has also attended the National Defence College
in India
in 1973.
and later the 6th Battalion
of Infantry
of the Ghana army
between 1969 and 1970. He rose to become the 2nd Brigade Commander. He supervised the change over of traffic flow in Ghana
from driving on the left to driving on the right as part of 'Operation Keep Right' which was effected on 4 August 1974. This change over was successful and largely accident free. He rose to become the Army Commander in April 1974 and the Chief of Defence Staff in April 1976.
government due to his position as the Ghana army commander. On July 5, 1978, he led a palace coup to overthrow the then Head of state, General Acheampong
. He continued with the ongoing preparations to return Ghana to constitutional rule but his government was also cut short on 4 June 1979 by a military uprising by the junior ranks of the Ghana military led by Flight Lieutenant
Jerry John Rawlings
and the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council
.
Military Range, Ghana
.
Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages where the title of Lieutenant General was held by the second in command on the battlefield, who was normally subordinate to a Captain General....
Frederick William Kwasi Akuffo (21 March 1937 – 26 June 1979) was a soldier and politician. He is a former Chief of Defence Staff
Chief of the Defence Staff (Ghana)
The Chief of the Defence Staff is the professional head of the Ghana Armed Forces. He is thus responsible for the administration and the operational control and command of the Ghana military. The Ghana Army was formed after World War II out of the Gold Coast Regiment of the Royal West African...
of the Ghana Armed Forces
Military of Ghana
The Ghana Armed Forces consists of the Army, Navy, and the Air Force. It is supervised by the Ministry of Defence . With around 7,000 personnel serving in the Ghanian military, Ghana has the lowest ratio of active troops per thousand citizens in the world, standing at 0.33. However, the Ghanaian...
and the Head of state and chairman of the ruling Supreme Military Council
Supreme Military Council, Ghana
The Supreme Military Council was the ruling government of Ghana from October 9, 1975 to June 4, 1979. Its chairman was Colonel I.K. Acheampong. He was also the Head of state of Ghana due to his chairmanship.- SMC I and II :...
(SMC) in Ghana
Ghana
Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
from 1978 to 1979. He came to power in a military coup, was overthrown in another military coup and executed three weeks later.
Early life and education
Fred Akuffo was born at AkropongAkropong
Akropong is a town in Ghana. It is the capital of Akwapim North District....
in the Eastern Region
Eastern Region (Ghana)
The Eastern Region is one of Ghana's ten administrative regions. It covers an area of 19,323 square kilometres, which is about 8.1% of Ghana's total land area. The region is divided into administrative districts. The total number of districts were increased from 17 districts to 21...
of Ghana. He completed his secondary education at the Presbyterian Boys' Secondary
Presbyterian Boys' Secondary
The Presbyterian Boys' Secondary School is a prestigious all-male academic institution founded in 1938. It was originally located at Odumase - Krobo in the Eastern Region of Ghana...
School in 1955 at Odumase krobo, Ghana. He then enlisted in the Ghana Army and trained at the Royal Military Academy
Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst , commonly known simply as Sandhurst, is a British Army officer initial training centre located in Sandhurst, Berkshire, England...
, Sandhurst, UK among others. He was married to Mrs. Emily Akuffo. He has also attended the National Defence College
National Defence College, India
The National Defence College of India, located in New Delhi, is an institution of higher learning of the defence forces of India. The institution was inaugurated on 27 April 1960 and is the only military institution in the country that imparts knowledge on all aspects of national security and...
in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
in 1973.
Career
While in the army, he served as Commanding Officer of the Airborne Training School at TamaleTamale
A tamale — or more correctly tamal — is a traditional Latin American dish made of masa , which is steamed or boiled in a leaf wrapper. The wrapping is discarded before eating...
and later the 6th Battalion
Battalion
A battalion is a military unit of around 300–1,200 soldiers usually consisting of between two and seven companies and typically commanded by either a Lieutenant Colonel or a Colonel...
of Infantry
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
of the Ghana army
Ghana Army
The Ghana Army is the army of the West African nation of Ghana. In 1959, two years after the Gold Coast obtained independence as Ghana, the Gold Coast Regiment was withdrawn from the Royal West African Frontier Force, and formed the basis for the new Ghanaian Army...
between 1969 and 1970. He rose to become the 2nd Brigade Commander. He supervised the change over of traffic flow in Ghana
Ghana
Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
from driving on the left to driving on the right as part of 'Operation Keep Right' which was effected on 4 August 1974. This change over was successful and largely accident free. He rose to become the Army Commander in April 1974 and the Chief of Defence Staff in April 1976.
Politics
On October 9, 1975, Fred Akuffo was appointed a member of the ruling Supreme Military CouncilSupreme Military Council, Ghana
The Supreme Military Council was the ruling government of Ghana from October 9, 1975 to June 4, 1979. Its chairman was Colonel I.K. Acheampong. He was also the Head of state of Ghana due to his chairmanship.- SMC I and II :...
government due to his position as the Ghana army commander. On July 5, 1978, he led a palace coup to overthrow the then Head of state, General Acheampong
Ignatius Kutu Acheamphong
General Ignatius Kutu Acheampong was a former military head of state of Ghana. He ruled from 13 January 1972 to 5 July 1978, when he was deposed in a palace coup. He was later executed by firing squad.-Early life:...
. He continued with the ongoing preparations to return Ghana to constitutional rule but his government was also cut short on 4 June 1979 by a military uprising by the junior ranks of the Ghana military led by Flight Lieutenant
Flight Lieutenant
Flight lieutenant is a junior commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many Commonwealth countries. It ranks above flying officer and immediately below squadron leader. The name of the rank is the complete phrase; it is never shortened to "lieutenant"...
Jerry John Rawlings
Jerry Rawlings
Jerry John Rawlings is a former leader of the Republic of Ghana and now the African Union envoy to Somalia. Rawlings ruled Ghana as a military dictator in 1979 and from 1981 to 1992 and then as the first elected president of the Fourth Republic from 1993 to 2001...
and the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council
Armed Forces Revolutionary Council, Ghana
The Armed Forces Revolutionary Council was the government of Ghana from June 4, 1979 to September 24, 1979. It came to power in a bloody coup that removed the Supreme Military Council, another military regime, from power. The June 4 coup was preceded by an abortive attempt on May 15, 1979 when...
.
Execution
He was executed along with other senior military officers on 26 June 1979 at the TeshieTeshie
Teshie is a city in Ghana in the Greater Accra Region. Fort Augustaborg, built by the Danes in 1787, is located in Teshie and was occupied by the British from 1850 to 1957. The national Officer Cadet Training School and Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre are also located here...
Military Range, Ghana
Ghana
Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
.