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Flight Lieutenant Jerry John Rawlings was a young and charismatic figure when he first came to power in a coup on 4 June 1979. Coups take place in capital cities, and as Kumasi is 250 kilometres from the capital of Ghana, Accra, people expected that it would be some time before the Ghana Air Force pilot would show himself in Ghana's second city. He was, after all, half Ewe, and might have doubted if he would be welcome in the capital of Ashanti. The students at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), however, were enthusiastic about his arrival on the political scene and the promise he brought of a people's revolution. So when a few weeks after the coup, the Flight Lieutenant came to Kumasi, he was greeted on the campus by the entire student body, massed in their thousands with KNUST academic and office staff, security guards and farm labourers. What the new leader was not prepared to face, was a demand for the summary execution of some of the university professors.
Rawlings stopped his vehicle on the large expanse of the university's sports field where he was met by the Vice-Chancellor, Dr E Bamfo-Kwakye. Deciding to address the rapidly assembling multitude stood on the roof of his vehicle, the youthful leader invited a very uncertain Vice-Chancellor to join him. His vigorous shout of 'People!' was greeted by the thunderous roar of 'Revolution!' Then he launched into his well rehearsed speech on what his revolution would entail.
'Ghana is riddled with corruption perpetrated by the managerial and professional class which runs the country's businesses, government departments and public institutions,' Rawlings said. 'The whole community needs to be cleansed of these elements.' He explained that he had begun the operation at the top with the execution on 26 June 1979 of twelve leaders, including three former heads of state: Akwasi Amankwaa Afrifa (1969-1970), Kutu Acheampong (1971-78) and Fred Akuffo (1978-79). Now he relied on the people to expose their corrupt oppressors so that they could also be punished. 'Who are the guilty people on this campus? They must also be exposed.'
Some students asked if these people would also be executed and this set off a universal demand for wholesale executions. Rawlings replied that he was not in favour of more executions; other forms of punishment must be employed. However, the students could not be persuaded to modify their demands and a lengthy stalemate ensued. Nothing that Rawlings or the Vice-Chancellor could say could dampen the call for blood. The shadows were lengthening across the sports field so the V-C suggested moving to the great hall. No doubt he was relieved to descend from his precarious perch.
The heated discussion continued in the overflowing hall but deadlock persisted. At last, to release everyone to their suppers, Rawlings threw the students a challenge. 'You know the corrupt people in this university. Bring them to me on the sports field at 08.00 tomorrow morning and I will have them shot by firing squad.'
That night many professors, lecturers and administrators did not sleep in their houses on the campus. Meetings went on in the students' halls of residence throughout the hours of darkness. The Flight Lieutenant rose with the sun and took his breakfast in the Vice-Chancellor's lodge. Then he made his way to the sports field to keep his appointment. As he had no doubt expected, the students had no captives to hand over.
Akwesi Berko
To learn more about the intriguing story of the grassroots industrial revolution in the turbulent Ghana of the second half of the twentieth century, read John Powell's novel The Colonial Gentleman's Son or his non-fictional account The Survival of the Fitter. More details of these books and photographs of the informal sector artisans of Suame Magazine in Kumasi will be found on the following websites. http://www.ghanabooksjwp.com - http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_0_28?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=the+colonial+gentleman%27s+son&sprefix=the+colonial+gentleman%27s+son
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