23 Years Ago on May 15.....

....The day Sulemana stopped Rawlings

Accra (The Evening News) - Exactly twenty-three years ago on 15 May, Flt-Lt Jerry Rawlings, made his first coup attempt in the country. He is on record to have made two successful coups - 4 June 1979 and 31 December 1981.

But on 15 May 1979, his ambition to topple the Supreme Military Council (SMC), led by General F.W.K. Akuffo was torpedoed and the man who dashed his inordinate ambition to throw the country into chaos was Major Abubakar Suleimana, the then Commanding Officer of the Recce Regiment.

Major Suleimana, now a member of the National Security, led his men to overpower Flt-Lt Rawlings and his handful of airmen involved in what was then described as an Uprising. In that abortive attempt, one of Rawlings? men was killed while the rest, including Rawlings himself, were placed in military custody.

The Military High Command then set up a General Court Martial to try the rebel soldiers. Rawlings, who was defended by Mr Tsatsu Tsikata, together with five other soldiers, was charged on two counts of conspiracy to commit mutiny and committing mutiny by violence. The five others were LAC John Newton Gatsko, LAC Sylvanus Tamakloe, Cpl David Baba, LAC Albert Kwasi Gbafa and LAC Daniel Dzigbolosu. The seventh accused, Cpl Ajowiak Ubald, was charged with concealment of mutiny.

The Court Martial, headed by Colonel J. Enninful, however, could not complete its work, when on 4 June, a group of soldiers led by Capt Boakye Djan broke into the guardroom and released Rawlings and his men. That jail-break turned out to be a coup d?etat and Rawlings was driven straight to the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation, where he announced the overthrow of the SMC and the formation of the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC).

Colonel Enninful and all members of his family and even livestock in the house were slaughtered. Major Suleimana had to make a quick dash out of the country to avoid being arrested by Rawlings. He remained in exile until last year, when the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government granted general amnesty to all in exile.

Major Suleimana returned home to a rousing welcome by the people of Tolon where he is the regent. On his return, the government appointed him, as a member of the National Security Council.