The National Redemption Council (NRC) 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

Heads of state of Ghana

Prior to independence in 1957, Ghana was known as the British colony of Gold Coast. Before then it had been divided among a number of states, by far the largest of which was the Ashanti Empire, whose rulers were known as the Asantehene....

 due to his chairmanship.

Duration of rule

The NRC came into power through a coup d'état

Coup 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...

 led by Colonel Acheampong. This was a bloodless coup which overthrew the democratically elected Progress Party (PP)

Progress Party (Ghana)

The Progress Party was the ruling party in Ghana during the Second Republic . In the 29 August 1969 elections, the PP won 105 of the National Assembly's 140 seats....

 government of Dr. K.A. Busia

Kofi Abrefa Busia

Kofi Abrefa Busia was Prime Minister of Ghana from 1969–72. He was born in Wenchi, in the then British colony of Gold Coast . He was educated at Methodist School, Wenchi, Mfantsipim School, Cape Coast, then at Wesley College, Kumasi from 1931–32. He later became a teacher at Achimota Secondary...

. It took place while Dr. Busia was away in the United Kingdom

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

 for medical reasons. The constitution was suspended and all political parties banned. One of the main grievances for the coup was the currency devaluations undertaken under the PP regime.

On October 9 1975, the NRC was replaced by 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 :...

. Its composition consisted of Colonel Acheampong, the chairman, who was also promoted straight from 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...

 to General

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....

. The others included the military hierarchy consisting of Lt. 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...

 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...

, and the army, navy, air force and Border Guards commanders respectively.

Members of the NRC

The NRC was made up of the Head of state, Colonel Achemapong, the various service commanders 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...

, the Inspector General of Police

Inspector General of Police of the Ghana Police Service

The Inspector General of Police is the most senior Police Officer in Ghana. The IGP is appointed by the President of Ghana acting in consultation with the Council of State. The IGP is the head of the Police service and is responsible for the operational control and the administration of the Police...

, 4 other army officers of the rank of Major

Major

Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...

 and a civilian who was the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice.

List of members
Office	Name	Dates
Head of state and Chairman	Colonel Ignatius Kutu Acheampong	13 January 1972 - 9 October 1975
Chief of the 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...	Major General N. Y. A. Ashley-Larsen Napoleon Ashley-Larsen Napoleon Yaovi R. Ashley-Larsen was a Chief of the Defence Staff of the Ghana Armed Forces. He was also twice Chief of Air Staff of the Ghana Air Force. He was also a member of the National Redemption Council , formed after the overthrow of the Busia government in 1972.-Career:Ashley-Larsen was...	13 January 1972 - ?
Chief of Army Staff 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...	Colonel Emmanuel Alexander Erskine Emmanuel Erskine Lieutenant General Emmanuel Alexander Erskine is a retired Ghanaian soldier and politician. He is a former Chief of Army Staff of the Ghana army...	13 January 1972 - ?
Chief of Naval Staff Ghana Navy The Ghana Navy is the naval force of the West African nation of Ghana. The navy, along with the Ghana Army and Ghana Air Force, make up the Ghana Armed Forces.-History:...	Commodore P.F. Quaye	13 January 1972 - ?
Chief of Air Staff Ghana Air Force The Ghana Air Force is the air force of the African nation of Ghana. The GAF, along with the Ghanaian Army and Navy, make up the armed forces of Ghana which are controlled by that nation's Ministry of Defence....	Air Commodore Charles Beausoliel	13 January 1972 - ?
Inspector General of Police Inspector General of Police of the Ghana Police Service The Inspector General of Police is the most senior Police Officer in Ghana. The IGP is appointed by the President of Ghana acting in consultation with the Council of State. The IGP is the head of the Police service and is responsible for the operational control and the administration of the Police...	J. H. Cobbina	13 January 1972 - ?
Member	Lt. Colonel C.D. Benni (then Major)	13 January 1972 - 9 October 1975
Member	Lt. Colonel Kwame R.M. Baah Kwame Baah Colonel Kwame R. M. Baah was a soldier and politician. He was the Ghanaian foreign minister between 1972 and 1975.Colonel Kwame Baah was appointed Minister for Foreign Affairs after the government of Dr. Kofi Abrefa Busia was overthrown in a coup d'état on January 13, 1972. This replaced the...  (then Major)	13 January 1972 - 9 October 1975
Member	Lt. Colonel Anthony Hugh Selormey (then Major)	13 January 1972 - 9 October 1975
Member	Lt. Colonel Kwame B. Agbo (then Major)	13 January 1972 - 9 October 1975
Attorney General & Commissioner for Justice Member	Edward Nathaniel Moore	13 January 1972 - ?

List of commissioners in NRC government
Office	Name	Dates
Commissioner for Foreign Affairs Minister for Foreign Affairs (Ghana) The Minister for Foreign Affairs is the Ghana government official who is responsible for overseeing the country's foreign policy and international diplomacy. The minister is usually one of the most senior members of Cabinet....	Major General Nathan Apea Aferi Nathan Apea Aferi Major General Nathan Apea Aferi was a soldier and politician in Ghana. He was a former Chief of the Defence Staff of Ghana. He also served briefly as Foreign Minister of Ghana.-Congo:... Major Kwame Baah Kwame Baah Colonel Kwame R. M. Baah was a soldier and politician. He was the Ghanaian foreign minister between 1972 and 1975.Colonel Kwame Baah was appointed Minister for Foreign Affairs after the government of Dr. Kofi Abrefa Busia was overthrown in a coup d'état on January 13, 1972. This replaced the...	1972 1972 - 1975
Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Inspector General of Police Inspector General of Police of the Ghana Police Service The Inspector General of Police is the most senior Police Officer in Ghana. The IGP is appointed by the President of Ghana acting in consultation with the Council of State. The IGP is the head of the Police service and is responsible for the operational control and the administration of the Police...	J. H. Cobbina Ernest Ako	13 January 1972 - September 1974 September 1974 - October 1975
Commissioner for Defence	Colonel Kutu Acheampong	13 January 1972 - ?
Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice	Edward Nathaniel Moore	13 January 1972 - ?
Commissioner for Finance and Economic Affairs	Colonel Kutu Acheampong Amon Nikoi	13 January 1972 - ?
Commissioner for Local Government	Major General Nathan Aferi Nathan Apea Aferi Major General Nathan Apea Aferi was a soldier and politician in Ghana. He was a former Chief of the Defence Staff of Ghana. He also served briefly as Foreign Minister of Ghana.-Congo:...	13 January 1972 - ?
Commissioner for Agriculture	Major-General Daniel Addo Daniel Addo (soldier) Major General Daniel K. Addo is a former Chief of the Defence Staff of the Ghana Armed Forces.- Career :Daniel Addo was once Commander of the Second Infantry Brigade Group of the Ghana army. The headquarters was at Kumasi. He had responsibility for all units in the northern half of Ghana. He... Colonel Frank Bernasko Frank Bernasko Frank George Bernasko was a retired Ghanaian soldier, lawyer and politician. He served as the Commissioner for Agriculture among others in the National Redemption Council military government of General I.K. Acheampong...
Commissioner for Health	Colonel J. C. Adjeitey Lt. Colonel Anthony Hugh Selormey
Commissioner for Labour, Social Welfare and Co-operatives	Major Kwame Asante
Commissioner for Lands and Mineral Resources	Major General D. C. K. Amenu
Commissioner for Industry	Major Kwame B. Agbo
Commissioner for Works and Housing	Major Roger Felli Colonel Victor Coker-Appiah	1972 1972 - ?
Commissioner for Trade and Tourism	Major Roger Felli	1972 - ?
Commissioner for Transport and Communications	Lt. Col. Anthony Selormey
Commissioner for Education, Culture and Sports	Lieutenant-Colonel Paul Nkegbe Colonel Emmanuel Obeng Nyante
Commissioner for Information	Colonel Kutu Acheampong Colonel C. R. Tachie-Menson
Commissioner for Cocoa Affairs	Colonel Frank Bernasko Frank Bernasko Frank George Bernasko was a retired Ghanaian soldier, lawyer and politician. He served as the Commissioner for Agriculture among others in the National Redemption Council military government of General I.K. Acheampong...

Some programmes of the NRC

• The NRC introduced the Ghana National Pledge.
• Operation Feed Yourself - an Agricultural campaign for national self sufficiency in food supplies.
• Operation Keep Right - The changeover from driving on the left to the right which occurred on August 4, 1974.

Sources and external links

• Members of NRC on WorldStatesMan.org