By Stephe Asante, GNA
Accra, Nov. 15, GNA – Sir Sam Jonah, a Knight of the Order of the British Empire (KBE), has called for the restoration of former Head of State General Ignatius Kutu Acheampong’s military rank.
He argued that the late military leader was stripped of his rank and executed in 1979 without being convicted by a court of law.
Speaking at the second edition of the General Ignatius Kutu Acheampong Public Lecture Series, Sir Jonah, a renowned business magnate, said the case for restoring the former Head of State’s rank was based on principles of justice and military tradition rather than an assessment of his leadership record.
“The facts are simple. Acheampong was stripped of his rank by decree. He was shot without trial. No court convicted him of anything,” he said.
General Acheampong served as Head of State from 1972 to 1978 after overthrowing the democratically elected government of Dr Kofi Busia in a military coup.
He chaired the National Redemption Council and later the Supreme Military Council until he was removed from office in 1978. He was executed by firing squad in 1979 following a military uprising.
“The case for restoring his rank does not rest on whether he was a good leader. It rests on something far simpler,ā Sir Jonah said.
“In a nation of laws, a soldier’s rank and over a lifetime of service, is not removed by decree and settled by firing squad,ā he added.
Sir Jonah said it was necessary to restore the former military leader’s rank in line with the rules of the Ghana Military Academy and to return to his family the honours associated with that rank.
“Restoring a rank does not rewrite history, it completes it,” he said.
Sir Jonah said subsequent developments suggested that some of General Acheampong’s political and economic ideas were not fully appreciated during his time.
“Removing a leader is not the same as curing a nation. Every problem he confronted is still with us.
“We are still arguing about debt. We are still importing rice. We are still bargaining about who benefits from what lies beneath our soil,” he said.
Sir Jonah described General Acheampong as a patriot who made significant contributions as well as serious mistakes and paid a heavy price for them.
The lecture highlighted initiatives undertaken during the Acheampong administration in areas including agriculture, education, housing, health and entrepreneurship.
It also examined policies such as the transition from the imperial to the metric system of measurement and the introduction of “Operation Keep Right”, which changed Ghana’s road traffic system from left-hand to right-hand driving.
The event also discussed the “Operation Feed Yourself” programme, which sought to promote agricultural production and self-reliance.
Participants also reflected on General Acheampong’s contributions to employment creation, skills development, infrastructure expansion and national cohesion.
GNA
Edited by Kenneth Sackey
15 Nov. 2026
Reporter: Stephen Asante
Email: [email protected]