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Fred Akuffo

Soldier, politician, former Chief of Defence Staff and Head of state of Ghana

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Frederick William Kwasi Akuffo
Lt. Gen. Fred Akuffo
Chairman of the Supreme Military Council
In office 5 July 1978 – 4 June 1979
Deputy	Joshua Hamidu
Preceded by	Ignatius Kutu Acheampong
Succeeded by	Jerry Rawlings
Personal details
Born	Frederick William Kwasi Akuffo 21 March 1937 Akropong, Gold Coast
Died	26 June 1979(1979-06-26) (aged 42) Accra, Ghana
Cause of death	Execution by firing squad
Spouse	Mrs. Emily Akuffo
Profession	Soldier
Military service
Branch/service	Ghana Army
Years of service	1957 - 1979
Rank	Lieutenant General
Commands	Chief of Defence Staff Chief of Army Staff Commander 2nd Infantry Brigade (now Northern Command) Commander, 6th Battalion
Battles/wars	Congo Crisis
Other	Organized Operation Keep Right when Ghana changed over to driving on the right in August 1974
Head of State of a military government

Lieutenant General Frederick William "Fred" Kwasi Akuffo (21 March 1937 – 26 June 1979) was a Ghanaian soldier and politician. He was Chief of the Defence Staff of the Ghana Armed Forces from 1976 to 1978, and chairman of the ruling Supreme Military CouncilinGhana from 1978 to 1979.^[1] He became leader of the government in a palace coup against General Kutu Acheampong, and was overthrown and executed in another military coup less than a year later.^[2]

Fred Akuffo was born at Akropong in the Eastern Region of Ghana. He completed his secondary education in 1955 at the Presbyterian Boys' Secondary School in Odumase Krobo. He then enlisted in the Ghana Army in 1957 and trained at the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst, UK among others, receiving his commission in 1960. He was married to Mrs. Emily Akuffo. He also attended the National Defence CollegeinIndia in 1973.^[3]

While in the army, he served as commanding officer of the Airborne Training School at Tamale and later the 6th Battalion of Infantry of the Ghana Army between 1969 and 1970. He rose to become the 2nd Brigade Commander. He supervised the change over of traffic flow in Ghana from driving on the left to driving on the right as part of 'Operation Keep Right' which was effected on 4 August 1974. This changeover was successful and largely accident free. He rose to become the Army Commander in April 1974 and Chief of the Defence Staff in April 1976.

On 9 October 1975, Fred Akuffo was appointed a member of the ruling Supreme Military Council government due to his position as Ghana's army commander. On 5 July 1978, he led a palace coup to overthrow the head of state, General Ignatius Acheampong.^[4] He continued with the ongoing preparations to return Ghana to constitutional rule but his government was also cut short on 4 June 1979 by a military uprising by the junior ranks of the Ghana military led by Flight Lieutenant Jerry John Rawlings and the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC).^{[citation needed]}

He was executed along with other senior military officers on 26 June 1979 at the Teshie Military Range, Ghana.^[5]

• Ghana government official website for the celebration of Ghana's 50th anniversary

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