Ex-Sergeant Peter Tasiri Azongo, a former member of the defunct Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC), on Thursday pleaded with former President Jerry John Rawlings to appear before the National Reconciliation Commission (NRC) and apologise to Ghanaians for the brutalities Ghanaians suffered under the reign of the AFRC. Ex Sgt Tasiri stated his intention to seek international support to bring Flt Rawlings, who was the leader of the AFRC to judgement, if he failed to appear.
Testifying before the NRC at a public hearing in Accra, the former AFRC member restated a group apology by some former members of the AFRC to Ghanaians at the Commission.
The witness, along with three other members of the AFRC had accompanied Osahene Major (rtd) Boakye Djan, Spokesman for the AFRC, when the Osahene rendered a group apology to Ghanaians on November 18 at the NRC.
Ex Sgt Tasiri said their apology was a confession to the "Almighty God, and if Flt Lt Rawlings believed there was a Supreme Being who reigned over all the universe, he must do well to come and apologise and confess our sins to the nation and God."
Witness who said he would give other aspects of his evidence in camera, said the AFRC was collective in governance with a Chairman, adding that he was assigned the role to bring discipline into the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF).
He added that the time the AFRC left office to the Limann Administration discipline was fully restored in the GAF.
He said he was never a witness nor heard about any act of brutalities under the three months reigns, and he denied an allegation attributed to a witness that he (Tasiri) had led some soldiers to brutalise him, saying it was a mere fabrication.
Ex Sgt Tasiri attributed any indiscipline in the GAF to the other ranks, and added that indiscipline stemmed from officers using the other ranks to perform "payless labour and immorality in executive circles while the other ranks were observing".
On the destruction of the Makola Market in 1979, Ex Sgt Tasiri said it was to set the pace to be followed by other markets to arrest the indiscipline among market women.
Ex Sgt Tasiri said he left to study in the United States and during that time there was an offer from former President Limann, but he refused to "take the Chiavelli Loan, and a house offered to former members of the AFRC".
He said three affiliate members of the AFRC, Sgt George Atinga, George Asamoah, and Lawrence Bakubi, accepted similar housing offer at Dansoman, and added that he felt cheated for not taking the offer.
The Witness prayed the Commission to recommend a house for him.
He, however, did not agree to a suggestion from a Commissioner, Professor Abena Dolphyne to take collective responsibility for the execution of the generals in 1979; but insisted that he deserved to be considered for similar benefits for ex-head of states as contained in the Greenstreet Report.
