February 24, 1966!
“General! After your recent educative article on “13th January 1972” on General Acheampong’s coup, which overthrew Dr Busia, I look forward to another educative piece on the “24th February 1966” coup in which then Colonel Kotoka overthrew Osagyefo Kwame Nkrumah.
We need to know our history.”
I went back to read my “13th January 1972” article whose ink was barely dry on the paper. It started as follows:
Given the trend of our conversation, the question caught me off guard temporarily, though it did not totally surprise me!
It was Tuesday, 13th January 2026, the 54th anniversary of Gen. Acheampong’s coup that overthrew Prime Minister Dr Busia in 1972.
The question was, “General, don’t you think apart from Osagyefo, the best head-of-state we have ever had is Gen Acheampong?”
Noncommittally, I simply asked, “Why?” as my mind raced back to my Philosophy professor at Legon, Prof. Kwame Gyekye, who humorously advised us in his Logic class to be careful about insisting on logic in discourses.
He explained that life is not logical most of the time. Indeed, many arguments are based on emotions, religion, ethnicity, superstition, politics etc, with no middle-ground for compromise and sometimes commonsense/reasonableness.
For many, therefore, arguments are “take it or leave it,” a recipe for conflict. Prof. advised us to make our point strongly and logically, and then let go in the face of “obstinate illogicality,” especially with educated people who argue for reasons other than logic.
To write or not
Before considering the request to write about February 24, 1966, I once again turned to Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) data on demographics.
It read “Approximately 94.7 per cent of Ghana’s population was born on or after 1 January 1966.”
Why statistics again?
This is because, the about 95 per cent who in recent times talk glibly may only have heard of, or at best read about February 24, 1966.
For us who were in secondary school, it is obvious that many effusions fall into the category of “obstinate illogicality” that Prof. Gyekye advised us to avoid.
Indeed, some parents of some of the most vociferous commentators were children like me in 1966.
The passion and heat with which they argue is therefore based on anything/everything, but logic, calm reasoning and knowledge. Commonsense, therefore, dictates that one should avoid such topics as Prof advised.
However, to honour my friend of blessed memory, Ghanaian journalist and nationalist, patriot and Pan-Africanist Nana Kwasi Gyan-Apenteng, who constantly stated that the military must educate Ghanaians about itself, I have decided against my better judgement to once again write about February 24, 1966.
Thus, extracting from my earlier April 2018 article titled “Ghana’s Unforgettable Dates,” I stated as follows.
February 24, 1966
It started on February 24, 1966, when then Colonel EK Kotoka (later Lt Gen), Commander 2-Infantry-Brigade-Group headquartered in Kumasi, and his Brigade-Major, Major AA Afrifa (later Lt Gen), in concert with Police Commissioners Harlley and Deku, overthrew the government of President Osagyefo Kwame Nkrumah.
The bloody coup saw the killing of the Army Commander Maj. Gen CM Barwah and nine soldiers guarding him at his Juba Ridge residence at Burma Camp. Lt Gen. JA Ankrah (Rtd) was made the Head of State by the coupists.
President Nkrumah, who was then on his way to Vietnam ostensibly to broker peace for the Vietnam War, was left stranded. Eventually, President Sekou Toure of Guinea made Osagyefo co-President of Guinea until his death in Romania on April 27, 1972 aged 62.
Discussion
In 2000, the BBC voted Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah as the “BBC African of the Millennium.” Among the many reasons for the award were:
• He led Ghana to independence from British rule on March 6, 1957, becoming Ghana’s first Prime Minister. On July 1, 1960, when Ghana became a republic, he became Ghana’s first President.
His development projects, some of which were mocked as “prestige projects” continue to be relevant.
While the Akosombo Dam, the Accra-Tema Motorway have survived, Ghana Airways and the Black Star Shipping Line have died.
In education, he established the University of Science and Technology, Kumasi and the University of Cape Coast to train teachers.
• He championed the cause of African unity and in 1963, founded the Organisation of African Unity (OAU). A fierce Pan-Africanist, he was known for his famous statement, “Africa Must Unite.”
Any Ghanaian who has travelled to East, Central, Southern Africa and indeed in our sub-region, West Africa, will appreciate the impact of Osagyefo’s leadership and the respect it generated for Ghanaians.
• At the global level, Osagyefo was a founder member in 1961 in Belgrade, Yugoslavia of the Non-Aligned Movement with President Tito of former Yugoslavia, Jawaharlal Nehru of India, President Sukarno of Indonesia and Gamal Abdel Nasser of Egypt.
They avoided alignment during the Cold War in the early 1960s between capitalist USA (West) and Communist USSR (East).
With all the credentials of Osagyefo many countries would have wished to have in their leaders, it is mind-boggling that Ghanaians, not foreigners, in the 21st century can have such a visceral hatred for him, and praise February 24, 1966 for running Ghana and Africa aground.
My recommendation is for them to read the declassified CIA documents on February 24, 1966.
Osagyefo was certainly not perfect, but he was also not selfish! He was selfless and honest.
Perhaps what he failed to do in the eyes of his critics was to have a stakeholder engagement on the way forward with the architects of bomb-throwing who aimed at killing him using poor hirelings, but ended up killing/maiming innocent Ghanaians, including children.
Perhaps, the brainpower used in denigrating Osagyefo can be better invested in solving Ghana’s myriad problems of “galamsey,” health, schools under trees, armed robbery etc. As Dr Samuel Johnson, who wrote the first English dictionary, said in 1876:
“The supreme end of education is expert discernment in all things; the power to tell the good from the bad, and the genuine from the counterfeit, BUT above all, to prefer the good and the genuine, to the bad and the counterfeit!”
There are elderly Ghanaians who not only saw, but participated in February 24, 1966 alive we can learn from, and avoid emotive speculation.
Additionally, for those who seek to distort Ghana’s history by sophistry, please read about Oliver Cromwell, the disgraced British Colonel who in 1649 executed King Charles I.
May the souls of Ghana’s Army Commander in 1966, Maj. General CM Barwah, and the nine soldiers guarding him, who were all cold-bloodedly murdered on February 24, 1966 in Colonel Kotoka’s coup, and victims of bombs thrown at Osagyefo at Kulungugu, Accra Sports Stadium etc, Rest-In-Peace.
Leadership, lead with Integrity/Example/Humility! Fellow Ghanaians, wake up!
The writer is a former CEO, African Peace Support Trainers Association Nairobi, Kenya; Council Chairman, Family Health University, Teshie, Accra. E-mail:
