Soldiers have no business in politics: Rawlings 'murdered' June 4 - Kweku Baako

Editor-in-Chief of the New Crusading Guide newspaper, Abdul Malik Kweku Baako Jnr., has warned the military not to ever hatch the idea of "disrupting the current constitution of Ghana".

With particular reference to the controversial June 4 revolution, the seasoned journalist stressed that "soldiers had no business being in politics".

He was commenting on the 40th anniversary of some military officers who were slain during the uprising.

The military officers were executed by the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC) under the leadership of then Flt Lt. Jerry John Rawlings in 1979 for acts of corruption.

Families of the Senior Military officers who were executed during the June 4th 1979 revolution held a memorial service on Thursday, June 27, at the St. Catherine’s Catholic Church in Burma Camp, to mark 40th Anniversary.

The officers include Lt. Gen. Akwasi Amankwa Afrifa, Gen. Ignatius Kutu Acheampong, and General William Fredrick Akwasi Akuffo.

The three army Generals were lined up at the Teshie Military shooting range and shot for corruption, after Flt. Lt. Jerry John Rawlings, now founder of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) had led a bloody coup against General W.F.A Akuffo junta on June 4th 1979.

Alongside Acheampong, Afrifa and Akuffo, Major General Robert Ebenezer Abbosey Kotei, Rear Admiral Joy Kobla Amedume, Air Vice Marshall George Yaw Boakye, Major General Edward Kwaku Utuka, Major General Neville Alexander Odartey-Wellington, and Col. (Rtd) Roger Joseph Atogetipoli Felli were also put before firing squad.

Kweku Baako, who was speaking on Peace FM morning show 'Kokrokoo', said though the ideals underpining the revolt were laudable, former President Rawlings "murdered" it and taking away "June 4's validity and clarity".

"However noble their intentions were... he knew he had committed a crime; high treason; punishable by death...the very moment the army intervened in politics, they sowed the seeds of a counter-coup....we knew Rawlings was going to be the problem...he murdered June 4; he took away June 4's validity and clarity...that is an irreconcilable stand I have on Mr. Rawlings and for that 31 Dec coup d'etat and the by-product which is the NDC...the soldiers had no business being in politics. Let no soldier ever dream of disrupting this constitution," he said.