Ignatius Kutu Acheamphong
Encyclopedia
General
(then Colonel
) Ignatius Kutu Acheampong (icon; 23 September 1931 – 16 June 1979) 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.
and the St Peter's school (also Catholic) at Kumasi
, both in the Ashanti Region
of Ghana.
to overthrow the democratically elected government of the Progress Party
and its leader Dr. Kofi Busia 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.
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 drive 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.
(who later became Chief Justice), went into hiding from the government for fear of his life after coming under pressure to manipulate results.
Acheampong was deposed in a palace coup on 5 July 1978 and succeeded by the Chief of Defence Staff
, Lt. General Fred Akuffo
. He remained under virtual house arrest at Trabuom in the Ashanti Region
until the advent of the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council
(AFRC).
and Gen. Akuffo
) and five other senior military officers (Amedume, Boakye, Felli
, Kotei
and Utuka), were executed by firing squad in June 1979, after the 4 June revolution that brought Flight Lieutenant Jerry Rawlings
and the AFRC to power.
. His grandson is American football player Charlie Peprah
. A native of Plano
, Texas
, Peprah played four seasons at the University of Alabama
and was selected in the fifth round of the 2006 NFL Draft
by the New York Giants
. Peprah currently plays for the Green Bay Packers
.
General
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
(then Colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
) Ignatius Kutu Acheampong (icon; 23 September 1931 – 16 June 1979) 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
Acheampong was born to Catholic parents of Ashanti origin. He attended the Roman Catholic schools at TrabuomTrabuom
Trabuom is a town in the Ashanti Region of Ghana. The town is known for the Afia Kobi Ampem Girls Secondary School. The school is a second cycle institution....
and the St Peter's school (also Catholic) at Kumasi
Kumasi
Kumasi is a city in southern central Ghana's Ashanti region. It is located near Lake Bosomtwe, in the Rain Forest Region about northwest of Accra. Kumasi is approximately north of the Equator and north of the Gulf of Guinea...
, both in the Ashanti Region
Ashanti Region
The Ashanti Region is the third largest of 10 administrative regions in Ghana, occupying a total land surface of 24389 square kilometers or 10.2 per cent of the total land area of Ghana. In terms of population, however, it is the most populated region with a population of 3,612,950 in 2000,...
of Ghana.
Politics
Acheampong led a coup d'étatCoup d'état
A coup d'état state, literally: strike/blow of state)—also known as a coup, putsch, and overthrow—is the sudden, extrajudicial deposition of a government, usually by a small group of the existing state establishment—typically the military—to replace the deposed government with another body; either...
to overthrow the democratically elected government of the Progress Party
Progress Party
Progress Party may refer to:* Gabonese Progress Party, political party in Gabon* German Progress Party, the first modern political party with a program in Germany...
and its leader Dr. Kofi Busia on 13 January 1972.
He became Head of State and Chairman of the National Redemption Council
National Redemption Council
The National Redemption Council was the ruling Ghana military government in from January 13, 1972 to October 9, 1975. Its chairman was Colonel I.K. Acheampong. He was also the Head of state of Ghana due to his chairmanship.-Duration of rule:...
(NRC), which was later transformed into the 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 :...
on 9 October 1975, with Colonel Acheampong (promoted to General) as its chairman.
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 drive 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.
Union Government and overthrow
Acheampong sought to perpetuate the military in government by introducing a model called "Union Government" or "Unigov" for short. This became a very contentious national issue which was vehemently opposed by many. A referendum held on 30 March 1978 to accept or reject this concept was widely believed to be rigged, though the official results were 60.11% for and 39.89% against. The electoral commissioner at the time, Justice Isaac Kobina AbbanIsaac Kobina Abban
Isaac Kobina Donkor Abban was the Chief Justice of Ghana between 1995 and 2001. He was the ninth person to hold this position since Ghana became an independent nation.-Electoral Commissioner:Justice Abban was called to the bar on 18 April 1959...
(who later became Chief Justice), went into hiding from the government for fear of his life after coming under pressure to manipulate results.
Acheampong was deposed in a palace coup on 5 July 1978 and succeeded by the 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...
, Lt. General Fred Akuffo
Fred Akuffo
Lieutenant General Frederick William Kwasi Akuffo 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 in Ghana from 1978 to 1979...
. He remained under virtual house arrest at Trabuom in the Ashanti Region
Ashanti Region
The Ashanti Region is the third largest of 10 administrative regions in Ghana, occupying a total land surface of 24389 square kilometers or 10.2 per cent of the total land area of Ghana. In terms of population, however, it is the most populated region with a population of 3,612,950 in 2000,...
until the advent of 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...
(AFRC).
Execution
Acheampong, together with two other former Heads of State (Gen. AfrifaAkwasi Afrifa
Brigadier Akwasi Amankwaa Afrifa was a Ghanaian soldier, farmer, a traditional ruler and politician.He was the head of state of Ghana and leader of the military government in 1969 and then Chairman of the Presidential Commission between 1969 and 1970. He continued as a farmer and political activist...
and Gen. Akuffo
Fred Akuffo
Lieutenant General Frederick William Kwasi Akuffo 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 in Ghana from 1978 to 1979...
) and five other senior military officers (Amedume, Boakye, Felli
Roger Joseph Felli
Colonel Roger Joseph Atogetipoli Felli was a soldier and politician who was once the foreign minister of Ghana.Roger Felli was born at Navrongo, the capital of the Kassena-Nankana District in the Upper East Region of Ghana....
, Kotei
Robert Kotei
Major General Robert Ebenezer Abossey Kotei was a soldier, politician and track and field athlete. He was once the Chief of Defence Staff of the Ghana Armed Forces and also a member of the Supreme Military Council which ruled Ghana between 1975 and 1979. He was executed in 1979, following a...
and Utuka), were executed by firing squad in June 1979, after the 4 June revolution that brought Flight Lieutenant Jerry 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 AFRC to power.
Family
Acheampong was married to Mrs. Faustina AcheampongFaustina Acheampong
Faustina Acheampong was the First Lady of the Republic of Ghana from 1972 to 1978. She was the spouse of General Ignatius Kutu Acheamphong, Chairman of the National Redemption Council and Supreme Military Council and Head of state of Ghana from 1972 to 1978...
. His grandson is American football player Charlie Peprah
Charlie Peprah
Charles Yaw "Charlie" Peprah is an American football safety for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the New York Giants in the 5th round of the 2006 NFL Draft...
. A native of Plano
Plano, Texas
Plano is a city in the state of Texas, located mostly within Collin County. The city's population was 259,841 at the 2010 census, making it the ninth-largest city in Texas and the 71st most populous city in the United States. Plano is located within the metropolitan area commonly referred to as...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, Peprah played four seasons at the University of Alabama
University of Alabama
The University of Alabama is a public coeducational university located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States....
and was selected in the fifth round of the 2006 NFL Draft
NFL Draft
The National Football League Draft is an annual event in which the National Football League teams select eligible college football players and it is their most common source of player recruitment. The basic design of the draft is each team is given a position in the drafting order in reverse order...
by the New York Giants
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
. Peprah currently plays for the Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
.
See also
- National Redemption CouncilNational Redemption CouncilThe National Redemption Council was the ruling Ghana military government in from January 13, 1972 to October 9, 1975. Its chairman was Colonel I.K. Acheampong. He was also the Head of state of Ghana due to his chairmanship.-Duration of rule:...
- Supreme Military CouncilSupreme Military Council, GhanaThe 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 :...
- Corruption in GhanaCorruption in GhanaCorruption in Ghana has been common since independence. Since 2006, Ghana's score and ranking on the Transparency International Corruption Perceptions Index has improved slightly, ranked higher than Italy and Brazil. However, there is a growing perception in Ghana that government-related corruption...
- List of Ghana Heads of state by age