Editor-in-Chief of the New Crusading Guide newspaper, Abdul Malik Kweku Baako Jnr., has warned the military not to ever hatch the idea of "disrupting the current constitution of Ghana".
With particular reference to the controversial June 4 revolution, the season journalist stressed that "soldiers had no business being in politics".
He was commenting on the 40th anniversary of some military officers who were slain during the uprising.
The military officers were executed by the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC) under the leadership of then Flt Lt. Jerry John Rawlings in 1979 for acts of corruption.
Families of the Senior Military officers who were executed during the June 4th 1979 revolution held a memorial service on Thursday, June 27, at the St. Catherine’s Catholic Church in Burma Camp, to mark 40th Anniversary.
The officers include Lt. Gen. Akwasi Amankwa Afrifa, Gen. Ignatius Kutu Acheampong, and General William Fredrick Akwasi Akuffo.
The three army Generals were lined up at the Teshie Military shooting range and shot for corruption, after Flt. Lt. Jerry John Rawlings, now founder of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) had led a bloody coup against General W.F.A Akuffo junta on June 4th 1979.
Along side Acheampong, Afrifa and Akuffo, Major General Robert Ebenezer Abbosey Kotei, Rear Admiral Joy Kobla Amedume, Air Vice Marshall George Yaw Boakye, Major General Edward Kwaku Utuka, Major General Neville Alexander Odartey-Wellington, and Col. (Rtd) Roger Joseph Atogetipoli Felli were also put before firing squad.
Kweku Baako, who was speaking on Peace FM morning show 'Kokrokoo', said though the ideals underpining the revolt were laudable, former President Rawlings "murdered" it and taking away "June 4's validity and clarity".
"However noble their intentions were... he knew he had committed a crime; high treason; punishable by death...the very moment the army intervened in politics, they sowed the seeds of a counter-coup....we knew Rawlings was going to be the problem...he murdered June 4; he took away June 4's validity and clarity...that is an irreconcilable stand I have on Mr. Rawlings and for that 31 Dec coup d'etat and the by-product which is the NDC...the soldiers had no business being in politics. Let no soldier ever dream of disrupting this constitution," he said.
Watch Kweku Baako's take below:
Background
The June 4th Revolution was an uprising in Ghana in 1979
It was sparked when the then-military government of the Supreme Military Council (SMC II) of General F. K. Akuffo put then-flight Lieutenant Jerry John Rawlings on public trial for attempting to overthrow the government on 15 May 1979. This happened because Mr Rawlings was a junior soldier in the Ghanaian army, who, with other soldiers, had not received their salaries.
Mr Rawlings turned the trial against the government by accusing it of massive corruption and requesting that his fellow accused be set free as he was solely responsible for the mutiny. He was incarcerated for sentencing. His diatribe resonated with the entire nation as there was massive suffering.
In the night of 3 June 1979, junior military officers including Major Boakye Djan broke into the jail where Mr Rawlings was being held and freed him, and ostensibly marched him to the national radio station to make an announcement. The first time the public heard from Mr Rawlings was a statement that he, Mr Rawlings, had been released by the junior officers and that he was under their command. He requested all soldiers to meet with them at the Nicholson Stadium in Burma Camp in Accra.
The entire nation went up in uproar. The soldiers rounded up senior military officers including three former heads of state, General F. K. Akuffo, Ignatius Kutu Acheampong and Afrifa for trial. They were subsequently executed by firing squad.
Mr Rawlings was appointed the head of the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC) by the revolting junior military officers to run the country until the ongoing election was completed.
Mr Rawlings handed over power to Dr Hilla Limann in September 1979 but he again overthrew Dr Limann on 31 December 1981.
Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana
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June 4, 1979 and December 31, 1981 were all coups d'etat orchestrated by JJ Rawlings. Both had a lot of negative impacts on the socio-economic development of this country. Look at the NDC as a child of these coups, the corruption, insults,insinuations, politics of attrition they are engaged in, and you will understand the mentality and poor quality of its founder and the elders.
As Afful-Broni’s first term as a Pro VC of the University of Education, Winneba (UEW)was coming to an end, he started behaving like “a good boy” towards his boss (Professor Avoke) because the power to nominate candidates for the position of Pro VC was in the bosom of Professor Avoke. Afful-Broni knowing that he lost the VCship to Professor Avoke was afraid Professor Avoke might not nominate him for the Pro VC election so he Afful-Broni sometimes even opened Professor Avoke’s car door for him to get down. When the nomination period approaches, his “good boy” increases and Professor Avoke, a seasoned scholar who holds nothing against a living thought Afful-Broni is a priest so he cannot be cruel to him. This was the conviction with which Proffesor Avoke nominated the priest and eventually, Afful-Broni won narrowly. Little did Prof Mawutor Avoke know that, the devil can also be in a cassock and lead a congregation. When the winneba High Court upheld an injunction application on July 14, 2017, and asked Afful-Broni to act until a new governing council is constituted or the matter in court is determined, a lot of people were shocked about the ruling. Some people went to Afful-Broni after he assumed the position of a caretaker and he swore by heaven and earth that he knew nothing about the case, but today the honourable MP, Alexander Afenyo- Markin has mentioned Afful-Broni as the gang leader of those who plotted evil against Professor Avoke which some can term as “palace coup”. I learned Afful-Broni even swore that the he will give back the appointments by Professor Avoke he revoked. As of now, some stomach senior members, senior staff, and junior staff of UEW think that Afful-Broni did very well by skimming to oust Professor Avoke because the rules are been bent to favour them. It is SAD that 68-year-old retired professors, who can't boast of a single mentee in the system are holding on to positions as Head of Departments and see nothing wrong with the level of vindictiveness in the system. What at all does Afful-Broni want in life? I am sure people will begin to believe the rumour that Afful-Broni has twins in the US. One may be wondering why a priest who decided to taint his white cassock will be at the centre of the controversies at UEW. Claiming to be a man of God, he is even unable to reconcile with people whom he sees as opponents. Let me list some few reasons: 1. Afful-Broni has never been on “sakora” salary (salary without position allowances) when he was employed 2. Afful-Broni came in as the University Chaplain. Chaplain position has an allowance component(s) 3. He moved from chaplaincy to Head of Department (HOD) which also has an allowance component(s) 4. From HODship, he moved to Deanship with allowance component(s). These were the days Asso Prof George Kankam warned other staff to be careful of this priest because he was a potential danger to UEW. Today being a retired prof and given an appointment, he has lost his sense of judgement. 5. From Deanship, he had two terms of Pro VCship with mega allowance component(s) Now, as Afful-Broni likes money (including church money) and worldly things, he realised that if he leaves the Pro VCship, he would come down as a Professor with “sakora” salary so he has to look for evil ways to move to VCship. Upon disgrace from the honourable MP, the black cassock man, Afful-Broni has no shame. I now believe those who said that when Afful-Broni wants something from you, he would even lie on the floor for you but if he gets hold of what he is looking for, then he will teach you that if you buy Accra Kenkey, you need to get “shito” in addition. I weep for Professor Avoke! Because of the corrupt nature of Afful-Broni, it is alleged that he was able to give the minister of education, Napo a whopping 400,000 cedis which has made Napo to be quiet. I call on Professor Yankah, the minister of Education in charge of tertiary education, to sit up and speak on this issue. He was an advocate of academic freedom, which is today sold out when he is in charge of tertiary education? Prof Yankah, you have made a big name and rose to PRO VC at UG and not any smaller University in Ghana. Let generations unborn remember you for standing for what you once advocated rather than giving it for crucifixion. Hmmmmm my UEW!! Hmmmmmm my beloved Ghana!!!
I hear say at a point in time during the revolution, when kwaku baako became unpopular with the coup makers, some young recruit supporters of the revolt, grabbed him, and in broad day light castrated him with pliers and hammers, as we did to our goats during those days, hence his hatred for JJ.
GHANA IS AT ITS HOPELESS STATE NOW BECAUSE OF RAWLINGS. FROM 1982 TO 1993, HE HAD ALL THE POWER TO HAVE TRANSFORMED GHANA INTO A FIRST WORLD STATUS BUT FAILED WOEFULLY. NO VISION, NO IDEAS. WHEN THE FORMER SINGAPORE PRESIDENT HAD ABSOLUTE POWER LIKE RAWLINGS HAD, HE TRANSFORMED SINGAPORE.SAME CAN BE SAID OF MALAYSIA AND NOW EVEN IN KIGAME'S RWANDA. RAWLINGS AND THE PEOPLE HE SURROUNDED HIMSELF WITH WASTED EVERYBODY'S TIME WITH POPULISM THAT PRODUCED NO FRUITS. HIS WORDS THEN WERE LAW...NO OPPOSITION PARTIES, NO PARLIAMENT AND THE JUDICIARY WAS INFECTED WITH RAWLING'S TRIBUNALS. WITH HIS CHARISMA, RAWLINGS COULD HAVE CATAPULTED GHANA TO A FIRST WORLD STATUS BUT HE FAILED MISERABLY. HE JUST FAILED.....
Who says if HE Rawlings talks he talks to the baako and the sefa kayis,pls let's give respect wen its due. Even them the want respect not a 72 yr old longest head of state of ghana. He talks and sensible people hears him. We are tired of this ***barred word*** u call them selfs journalist whiles they are dire in the wool politicians. Give us a break
Headline. Kweku baako vrs Rawlings? Did Mr Rawlings speak? Did u give the same platform as u did to kweku baako? So wat headline is that/ or you are equating baako to HE JJ Rawlings? You guys are so unprofessionals and some of us can see thru your hypocrital ***barred word***. Equate baako to kufuor not Rawlings. Your tribalism is so disgusting
What is this idiotic headline baako vrs Rawlings. You guts are so deprived. Thinking u can equate the impotent one to Mr Rawlings? Do u give Mr Rawlings the same platform to defend himself? You won't cos he didn't give donkomi awards to your chairman generals and the impotent one, baako
Have u guys ever heard Mr Rawlings replying to that ant baako? So wat is this baako replies Rawlings. You are unprofessionals. If its kufuor you respect but Rawlings u despice. Shame to u all. Tribalists
Just fuck off you ***barred word***,you think you know everything. Are u a in the class of Mr Rawlings? You try so much but thanks to His Excellency, he ignores your ***barred word*** self. The impotent one try and find the father of your so called children
Brigadier Odartey Wellington did not die by firing squad. He died when defending the SMC II government.