The Supreme Military Council (SMC) 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

The period of the SMC can be divided into two eras. These are :

• Acheampong era - SMC - 1 (October 9, 1975 - July 5, 1978)
• Akuffo era - SMC 2 - (July 5, 1978 - June 4, 1979)

The SMC was overthrown by 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...

 on June 4, 1979. This was a bloody coup during which one of the SMC members, the Army Commander Major General Odartey-Wellington was killed.

Members of the Acheampong government

The council consisted of the Head of state and all service commanders of the Ghana Armed Forces. The head of the police was also included.

SMC I members (October 1975 to July 1978)
Office	Name	Dates
Head of state and Chairman	General Ignatius Kutu Acheampong	9 October 1975 - 5 July 1978
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...	Lieutenant General Lawrence A. Okai Lawrence Okai Lieutenant General Lawrence A. Okai is a former Chief of the Defence Staff of the Ghana Armed Forces. He is also a former member of the Supreme Military Council government led by General Acheampong.- Army career :... Lieutenant General Fred W. K. 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...	9 October 1975 - November 1976 November 1976 - July 1978
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 In 1959, two years after the Gold Coast obtained independence as Ghana, the Gold Coast Regiment was withdrawn from the Royal West African Frontier Force, and formed the basis for the new Ghanaian Army...	Lieutenant General Fred W. K. Akuffo Major General Robert E. A. 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...	9 October 1975 - November 1976 November 1976 - July 1978
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:...	Rear Admiral C.K. Dzang C.K. Dzang Rear Admiral Chemogoh Kevin Dzang was born at Nandom in the Upper West Region of Ghana. He is a retired naval Officer and a former Chief of Naval Staff of the Ghana Navy... Rear Admiral Joy Kobla Amedume	9 October 1975 - June 1977 June 1977 - July 1978
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....	Brigadier Charles Beausoliel Air Vice Marshal George Yaw Boakye	9 October 1975 - 11 November 1976 12 November 1976 - 5 July 1978
Border Guards Commander	Major General E. K. Utuka
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...	Ernest Ako Benjamin Samuel Kofi Kwakye	9 October 1975 - July 1978 July 1978 – June 1979

The various commissioners were designated as members of the National Redemption Council as membership of the SMC was limited to the Head of State, the Inspector General of Police and the various military service commanders.

List of commissioners (NRC members)
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 Roger Felli	1975 - ?
Commissioner for Internal Affairs 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...	Ernest Ako Benjamin Samuel Kofi Kwakye	9 October 1975 - July 1978 July 1978 – June 1979
Commissioner for Defence	Colonel Kutu Acheampong	9 October 1975 - July 1978
Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice	Edward Nathaniel Moore	9 October 1975 - ?
Commissioner for Finance and Economic Affairs	Colonel Kutu Acheampong Robert K.A. Gardiner Robert Gardiner Robert Gardiner may refer to:*Robert Gardiner * Sir Robert Septimus Gardiner , English businessman*Robert Gardiner actor in Maidstone who plays a Secret Service Chief*Robert Gardiner of Gardiner's Island... J. L. S. Abbey	9 October 1975 - ? ? – ? ? – ?
Commissioner for Local Government	Lt. Col. B. K. Ahlijah Lt. Col. K. A. Jackson C. K. Tedam	9 October 1975 - ? ? – ? ? – ?
Commissioner for Agriculture	Lt. Col. Paul K. Nkegbe Major General Neville Alexander Odartey-Wellington Colonel Samuel Akwagiram	? – ? ? – ? ? – ?
Commissioner for Health	Colonel J. C. Adjeitey Lt. Colonel Anthony Hugh Selormey Abayifaa Karbo
Commissioner for Labour, Social Welfare and Co-operatives	Rear Admiral Joy Kobla Amedume Nii Anyetei Kwakwranya
Commissioner for Lands and Mineral Resources	Group Captain T. T. Kutin Brigadier K. Osei-Boateng Lt. Col. Abdulai Ibrahim
Commissioner for Industry	Colonel George Minyila Colonel B. K. Ahlijah
Commissioner for Works and Housing	Lt. Col. K. A. Jackson Major Edward Yirimambo
Commissioner for Trade and Tourism	Colonel K. E. Quarshie
Commissioner for Transport and Communications	Colonel David A. Iddisah Group Captain T. T. Kutin Eric R.K. Dwemoh
Commissioner for Education, Culture and Sports	Lieutenant-Colonel Paul Nkegbe
Commissioner for Education, Youth and Sports	Ellis Owusu-Fordwor
Commissioner for Information	Major General Robert E. A. 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... Colonel Parker H.S. Yarney
Commissioner for Sports	Colonel Kutu Acheampong
Commissioner for Cocoa Affairs	Captain J. A. Kyeremeh
Commissioner for SMC Affairs	E. K. Buckman
Commissioner and Special Advisor to the Head of State	Joe Emmanuel Appiah Joe Appiah Nana Joseph Emmanuel "Joe" Appiah, MP was a Ghanaian lawyer, politician and statesman. He was born in Kumasi to Nana James Appiah and Nana Adwoa Akyaa, members of the Ashanti imperial aristocracy...
Commissioner for Consumer Affairs	Kofi Badu
Commissioner for Fuel and Power	Lieutenant-Colonel Abdulai Ibrahim
Regional Commissioners
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,...	Major R. Kujiku Commander Godwin E. Osei
Brong Ahafo Region	Lieutenant-Colonel O. K. Abrefa
Central Region Central Region (Ghana) The Central Region is one of Ghana's ten administrative regions. It is bordered by the Ashanti and Eastern regions to the north, Western region to the west, Greater Accra region to the east, and to the south by the Atlantic Ocean.-Districts:...	Major Dawuni
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...	Commander G. E. Osei
Greater Accra Region Greater Accra Region The Greater Accra Region is the smallest of Ghana's 10 administrative regions in terms of area, occupying a total land surface of 3,245 square kilometres or 1.4 per cent of the total land area of Ghana...	Major R. Kujiku
Northern Region Northern Region Northern Region may refer to:*Northern Region, Ghana*Northern Region, Eastern Cape, South Africa*Northern Region, Malawi*Northern Region, Manitoba, Canada, a region situated on the Canadian Shield including Manitoba's Hudson Bay coastline...	Lieutenant-Colonel R. Zumah
Upper Region	Lieutenant-Colonel M. Ofori-Akuamoah
Volta Region Volta Region Volta Region is one of Ghana's ten administrative regions. It is to the east of Lake Volta. Its capital is Ho.-List of districts:The region has 18 districts consisting of 3 municipal and 15 ordinary districts:-Background:...	Lieutenant-Colonel G. K. Amevor
Western Region Western Region (Ghana) The Western Region of Ghana, reaching from the Côte d'Ivoire border in the west to the Central Region in the east, includes the large twin city of Sekondi-Takoradi on the coast, coastal Axim, and a hilly inland area including Elubo. It includes Ghana's southernmost location, Cape Three Points,...	Lieutenant-Commander John A.K. Otoo

Palace coup

Following a bloodless palace coup on 5 July 1978, the SMC was reconstituted. General Acheeampng was forced to resign as head of state and placed under house arrest. This government remained in power until its overthrow eleven months later by 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...

 on 4 June 1979.

SMC II members (July 1978 to June 1979)
Office	Name	Dates
Head of state and Chairman	Lieutenant General Fred W. K. Akuffo	5 July 1978 - 4 June 1979
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 Robert E. A. Kotei Lieutenant General Joshua Hamidu Joshua Hamidu Lieutenant General Joshua Mahamadu Hamidu is a former Chief of Defence Staff and member of the Supreme Military Council government. He was appointed National Security Advisor to the Kufuor government in 2001. He has also been the chairman of the Narcotics Control Board of Ghana. He is also on...	5 July 1978 - 23 July 1978 July 1978 - 4 June 1979
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...	Major General Neville Alexander Odartey-Wellington	5 July 1978 - 4 June 1979
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:...	Rear Admiral Joy Kobla Amedume	5 July 1978 - 4 June 1979
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 Vice Marshal George Yaw Boakye	5 July 1978 - 4 June 1979
Border Guards Commander	Major General E. K. Utuka / Major General K. Osei Boateng	5 July 1978 - 4 June 1979
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...	Ernest Ako Benjamin Samuel Kofi Kwakye	July 1978 17 July 1978 - 4 June 1979

Sources

• Some of the information here was originally on the German Wikipedia.

External sources

• Ghana-pedia webpage - Supreme Military Council (I)
• Past General Officers Commanding /chiefs of the Defence Staff
• Past Army Commanders / Chiefs of Army Staff
• Past Chiefs of Naval Staff 1959 - 2000
• Past Chiefs of Air Staff