Ignatius Kutu Acheamphong

Ignatius Kutu Acheamphong

Colonel Ignatius Kutu Acheampong (September 23 1931 – June 16 1979) was a Ghanaian dictator. He led a coup d'état to overthrow the popular elected government of the Progress Party and its leader Dr. Kofi Busia on 13 January 1972.

He became Head of State and Chairman of the National Redemption Council (NRC), which was later reformed into a Supreme Military Council, with Colonel Acheampong (promoted to General) as its chairman. He was deposed in a palace coup on 5 July 1978 and succeeded by the Chief of Defence Staff, General FWK Akuffo.

Notable historical changes and events introduced or implemented in Ghana during the period under Acheampong include: the change to metric system of measurement, change to right-hand drive, "Operation Feed Yourself" (a programme aimed at developing self-reliance in agriculture), "National Reconstruction" (aimed at promoting employment and skill for workers), face-lift projects in cities, and the reconstruction/upgrading of stadia to meet international standards.

There were, however, widespread accusations of both the encouragement and endorsement of corruption in the country under his rule.

Acheampong, together with two other former Heads of State (Gen. Afrifa and Gen. Akuffo) and five other Generals (Amedume, Boakye, Felli, Kotei and Utuka), was executed by firing squad in June 1979, shortly after the revolution that brought Flight Lieutenant Jerry Rawlings to power.

Acheampong's grandson is American football player Charlie Peprah. A native of Plano, Texas, Peprah played four seasons at the University of Alabama and was picked in the fifth round of the 2006 NFL Draft by the New York Giants.