After successfully overthrowing Dr. Kwame Nkrumah in 1966, the National Liberation Council arrested ministers in the first government, who were still in the country at the time.
These ministers who were later jailed for perjury in 1967, included Nkrumah’s defence minister, Kofi Baako, who is the father of veteran journalist, Abdul Malik Kweku Baako Jnr.
On September 25, 1967, Mr Baako’s movable properties, which included clothing, were auctioned off by the NLC as part of efforts to recover over 3 million cedis which were alleged to have been lost by the state.
A video sighted by GhanaWeb shows many people, both Whites and Blacks, trooping to the venue for the auction to buy what they could from the deposed minister’s properties.
The video also shows some of Mr Baako’s properties lined up in public view as the auction was going on. Seen in the video are couches, mattresses, wardrobes, cabinets, books, among others.
Some people could also be seen laughing when some of the clothing of Mr Baako were being auctioned off, perhaps they found the move funny or the auctioneer had passed a funny comment.
According to Reuters, over 3,000 cedis (not equivalent to current cedis) was realised from the auction that day.
Mr Baako was not the only minister under Nkrumah’s regime to suffer this fate. Prior to auctioning off his properties, the NLC had, days earlier on September 21, 1967, sold the properties of the former Minister of Works, E.K. Bensah.
Also, later dates were scheduled for the auctioning of properties belonging to other ministers under the regime.
Watch the video below:
DA/MA
