Editor-in-Chief of the New Crusading Guide newspaper, Abdul-Malik Kweku Baako has revealed that between the period of 1982 and 1984, some hundreds of Ghanaians went "missing" during John Jerry Rawlings' tenure as Head of State.
The seasoned journalist made this shocking disclosure on Peace FM’s flagship morning show ‘Kokrokoo’ on Wednesday, 17 October 2018 when discussing issues on the 1982 abduction and extrajudicial killings and assertions by the former president that if he was that bloodthirsty, the best opportunity to have silenced his critics was in 1979 when Ghanaians shouted let the blood flow.
“Under his [Rawlings’] watch, if you don’t know let me tell you today, over 240 Ghanaians disappeared into thin air. One of them is B.B. Bismark. As we sit here, the family doesn’t know where the man disappeared to, and he wasn’t the only person – 247 Ghanaians got lost, they have families,” he said.
A clearly incensed Kweku Baako further stated that “because Mr Rawlings was not prosecuted for overthrowing the People's National Party (PNP) government led by Dr Hilla Limann," he (Rawlings) is the "luckiest Ghanaian. He ought to cool down and keep quiet.”
Genesis
Earlier this month, Multimedia aired a documentary dubbed “Who Killed The Judges?” on the chilling account of the murder of three High Court Judges and a retired army officer, which Mr Rawlings described as an attack on him.
The murder of Justices Cecelia Koranteng Addo, Kwadwo Adjei Agyepong, Poku Sarkodie and retired Major Acquah shook the foundation of the country and the judiciary in particular.
They were accused of being corrupt and bias having adjudicated on high profile cases involving the then military governments AFRC and PNDC all of which had Mr Rawlings as head.
An investigation conducted into the murders by a Special Investigative Bureau (SIB) found Amartei Quaye and others responsible.
Quaye and a few soldiers including Amedeka were to be shot by firing squad but Amedeka broke jail and has since remained a fugitive 36 years on.
The then national security advisor Captain Kojo Tsikata was also named in the investigative report as a “co-conspirator” in the murders but concluded that he, like Amartei Quaye, could not have succeeded in the killing if there was no authorization from a higher authority.
The only higher authority at the time was Flt Lt Jerry John Rawlings who was then the head of state the report concluded.
He (Mr Rawlings) has not officially contested the findings of this report.
My Integrity Intimidates & Threatens Some People
But delivering the keynote address at the 2018 KNUST SRC organised TEKTALK event, the former military leader said these are calculated attempts by certain individuals who feel intimidated and threatened by his level of integrity.
According to him, “If I were blood thirsty as these people are claiming, on the 15th of May 79, I could have ignited the thing and left it. ’79 when people were calling for blood, I could have just let go and let people do the killings.
“How do I come back in the 80s when things have cooled down and say I want to kill judges? It was a terrible thing some of our people did. How do you choose how to knock me down without going too low? I have enough true stories about these characters,” he stated.
Noisemaking
But Mr Baako, a key activist in the June 4 1979 uprising, believes the former president should have exercised the option of silence on the issue, wondering why he (Mr Rawlings) is making so much “noise” on the documentary.
To him, Mr Rawlings had several opportunities to respond to the allegations about his alleged complicity in the murder of the judges, but instead declined or refused to appear before the National Reconciliation Commission.
"...he even had to be subpoenaed before he appeared before the Commission," he recounted on PeaceFM.
Adding that if Mr Rawlings failed to cooperate with the NRC and has remained silent all these years in the face of the damning conclusions contained in the findings of the NRC report, it is "intriguing that the same man has found it worthwhile to comment on this documentary".
Source: King Edward Ambrose Washman Addo/Peacefmonline.com/ Twitter: @Washman5/ Instagram: Ambrose_wash
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Aluta, that Kulungugu bombing was directed on Osagyefo by his own people and only one person that was Osagyefo it was unfortunate that little girl got killed ,but the PNDC was targeting a group of people by the Sogakope mafia led by Kojo Tsikata. Rawlings was a young guy and the head of state that time who was used by these people to satisfy their own agenda, I can say,so many things were done during his time without his knowledge but he was the type he never betrayed his followers so people attributed a whole lot of atrocities done to Ghanaians on him and he never opened up to disown them. I can tell you he has fallen out with most of those people who did evil things in his time.The late Kofi Awoonor, Kojo Tsikata and their Sogakope mafia were the dreaded mafia in town during that revolution and now age has caught up with them all and some are even weak but still alive. Wickedness, callousness, cruelty and evil has no expiry date and now,look at what us happening Ghanaians want the truth and are asking about the truth of the evil happenings of that P/ndc revolution. Aluta, don't ask Ghanaians to let go because forgiveness is there but forgetting is hard. That's why some if you who call for war in Ghana because of ndc, I caution you to be careful because after the war what next? will ndc get power? and can those from the areas of those who called for war and there was war travel to their perceived enemies areas if ndc don't get the power they so love through the war, because it is not possible ndc will get power through war, it has never happened anywhere in the world. Kenya war didn't give the opposition the power, Ivory Coast war was when the government lost and they wanted to retain power at all cost like mahama tried to do and the former IGP and the military stopped him that it won't work,because Ghanaians had spoken and they've rejected him. Ndc war doesn't mean you will win and get power.
That name ''ALUTA'' speaks for itself, CALOUSY EPITONIZED, No feeling for human being. And he may have not lived the times. he has not sent dependants losing their source of life and dignity as a human. O' how I wish 'ALUTA' taste and feels the 'Extra-Judicial killing of his dearest relation and disappearance of his wife if he has one' Yes, In MACCBETH, Rose conveyed the callous elimination of MACDUFF'S entire family even including a little child. Deeply feeling the lose in exile Country England, Malcom tried to console Macduff to take the lose as a 'MAN'. Now ALUTA or whatever you call yourself GO AND READ AND UNDERSTAND MACDUFF'S RESPONSE to hair apparent MALCOM. He who feel it knows it BEST. RAWLINGS MUST KEEP QUIET and STOP RAKING WOUNDS OF ANGUISH.
NO WONDER EX-PRESIDENT RAWLINGS COULD BE LUKIER LIKE SAUL WHO BECAME PAUL, BUT THERE IS A TIME FOR EVERY OCCASION UNDER THE SUN. HYMMMMM
Now places have been mentioned. The authorities should find these graves for the dead to be given befitting burials. I hpe Rawlings find no rest at night when he goes to bed. I hope he sleeps at night, as well as his wife The evil that men do surely lives after them.
IN AS MUCH AS I SYMPATHIZE WITH THE FAMILIES OF THE DEAD OR KILLED ONES INCLUDING THE JUDGES AND MILITARY OFFICER I STRONGLY BELIEVE THAT THE RAISING OF THESE ISSUES AT THIS TIME OF OUR NATION'S FOREWARD MATCH IS COMPLETELLY MISCHIEVOUS AND UNNECESSARY AFTER A NATIONAL RECONCILIATION HAD BEEN HELD OR DONE. THEN WE SHOULD GO FAR BACK AS TO THE TIMES OF KULUNGUGU BOMBINGS THAT KILLED AN INNOCENT SCHOOL GIRL AS WELL AS THE BLOODY COUP D'ETATS INVOLVING GENERAL KOTOKA AND OTHERS, AND ALSO THAT OF GENERAL KUTU ACHEAMPONG. IT IS SENSE8*LESS TRYING TO INCITE PEOPLE NOW FOR SOME ATROCITIES WHILSE LIVING SOME OUT. WHO IS MORE A GHANAIAN THAN THE OTHER? S*ILLY AND NON*SENSE. THE YOUNG GIRL THAT WAS KILLED IN THE KULUNGUGU ATTEMPTED BOMBING OF NKRUMAH IS AS EQUALLY IMPORTANT AND A TRUE GHANAIAN AS ANYONE THAT WAS KILLED IN WHATEVER COUP D'ETAT OR UPRISING. PLEASE LETS LIVE THIS COUNTRY TO REST IN PEACE AND NOT IN PIECES. EVEN WORSE ATROCITIES DONE IN COUNTRIES SUCH AS LIBERIA, RWEANDA AND CHAD UNDER PRESIDENT GOUKOUNI OUEDDEI HAVE ALL RECONCILED AND ARE MOVING ON. PLEASE LETS END THESE MISCHIEVOUS MOVES
Rawlings you killedd the Judges Amartey kwei's confess at Nsawam prison that you and captain Tsikata ordered him to killl the Judges you are murdererr ,,, You will be sentence to deathh soon wickedd man
Get the military intelligence and former afrc members help find the location mass graves ,heard once afrc guy saying the airforce base burma camp ,achimota forest and bundase
Kwaku is right. Chris Asher of Palaver escaped from Ghana for staging a demonstration against JJ during his infamous 1982 coup. He(JJ) had the knack for attacking his critics whenever he disagreed with them. When one visits the miliatry barracks for instance, there are mass graves there for some of these missing persons and seriously the military administration must find a way to help the bereaved families get closure.