Achimota School opened its Easter Term for the 1971/72 Academic Year on Monday 10 January 1972 and I was in form 5A based in Aggrey House, not too far from the school?s classroom block and Dining Hall.
On this Thursday 13 January 1972, as usual we woke up, attended to nature?s ablutions and as I was rushing through to Morning Service before breakfast, a friend suggested that I pass through the Common Room to listen to the radio.
I went, and noticed that the radio ? Radio Ghana ? was only playing military music???.. then I heard this voice:
?This is Colonel I K Acheampong. Busia?s hypocrisy has been detected?????
Young as I was, barely 19 years, I started funning. That announcement signalled the collapse of the 2nd Republic and the advent of the ?13 January Revolution?.
I remember so well that in late morning, around 11.30 am, we went for Ghana Language class and our teacher, Mr H.C. Larbi of blessed memory told us that the fall of the Second Republic was now a reality????..
Reader, almost forty years, I still do not know where I got the spirit to blow my top that morning. I raised my hand and spoke bitterly against the military coup. It was terrific.
But that day passed into history, and we woke up next day, Friday 14 January 1972 ? new military regime ? new names, new institution.
I remember so well how the newspapers used to celebrate every 13th day of January ? ?The Gallant Men,? showing pictures of the military leaders.
Was it 1974 or so, Acheampong announced triumphantly at a press conference that ?we have succeeded in abolishing politics???.?
One Pressman, was it Cameron Duodu? ? I am not sure ? then took him on. ?Abolish politics?? You can NEVER abolish politics. It is always there ? even? in the home, in the choir, in the church, in the school??????..wherever two or three people are gathered, there is politics of some sort ? the art of making choices.
Then out of the blue, some five or six tough minded Ghanaian businessmen inserted an advertisement in the newspapers that they were going to have a meeting at the Star Hotel (today?s Golden Tulip Hotel) and that their aim was to form ?GHANA PATRIOTIC MOVEMENT? withthe motto ?Unto God We Commend Our Nation?
Acheampong and his soldiers moved fast. They did not arrest the leaders ? but gave them appointments into the state structure, and that ended their dream.
Then came the introduction of UNION GOVERNMENT after a long fruitless debate as to whether Acheampong should be officially called ?President? or ?Head of State and Chairman of the ?National Redemption Council?
Then top commanders edged out the revolutary leaders and formed the Supreme Military Council, and then the Army Commander Odartey Wellington led his colleagues to force out Acheampong as Head of State and SMC Chairman.
That day was 5 July 1978. I had long finished Achimota, graduated from Legon and joined the Military.
I was a Cadet Officer in the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurts, UK
Next article ? 5 July 1978
By Nkrabeah Efah Dartey
