Major General Ben Akafia is said to have foiled a coup plot in 2000
The name Ben Akafia may sound ordinary at first, but behind it lies a remarkable man who played, if not major, a key role in shaping the nation’s fortunes and contributing to the peaceful democracy Ghana enjoys today.
His exploits, which are rarely told and known only to a few senior citizens in the country, took place during Ghana’s 2000 general elections, as documented by Dr Baffour Agyeman-Duah, in his book, My Ghanaian Odyssey.
According to My Ghanaian Odyssey by Dr Baffour Agyeman-Duah — with excerpts published by the New Crusading Guide and featured on GhanaWeb in November 2012 — Major General Ben Akafia foiled an attempted coup by a group of military officers during the runoff of the December 2000 general elections.
The account details that following the first round of the 2000 Election — where the National Democratic Congress (NDC) candidate, the late Prof John Evans Atta Mills, trailed closely behind the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) John Agyekum Kufuor with 44% and 48% of the votes respectively — some military officers plotted to stage a coup to prevent the second round of voting in the December 2000 Election from taking place.
It went on to narrate that the group of soldiers met to hatch a plot to create conditions for the then president, the late Jerry John Rawlings, to declare a state of emergency, which, if successful, would have cancelled the second round of voting in the 2000 Election.
“A group of soldiers plotted to derail the democratic process during those agonising weeks in December 2000. It has never been clear whose brainchild it was, and the key personalities behind the idea that had led the officers to plot. Although a few strategically placed individuals had suspected the incumbent president of complicity, no clear trail had led directly to his doorstep,” quotes from the book read, as captured by the New Crusading Guide.
It continued to say; “One fine late night in the third week of December, as the nation slept and waited anxiously for the runoff, a group of senior military officers, including one female who stood in for her superior met at the Burma camp to hatch a plot to mitigate the constitutional order.
“Calculating that an outright coup d’état could plunge the country into abyss, they decided instead to create conditions for President Rawlings to declare a state of emergency, an act that would immediately cancel the impending runoff.”
It added that among the plot was a scenario of an invasion of the country by some dissidents supported by Togolese mercenaries.
“A plausible scenario emerged: an invasion of the country by Ghanaian ‘dissidents’ supported by ‘Togolese mercenaries!’ The plan was to fake the invasion by parachuting the so-called dissidents and Togolese soldiers onto the Tema Motorway, where, after some stage combat, they would be rounded up.”
However, the defining moment came late into the night, as the meeting to discuss the soldiers’ plot dragged on for hours.
Major General Ben Akafia, then Chief of Defence Staff, entered the room where the meeting was taking place and firmly admonished the soldiers, vowing not to allow such a plan to unfold under his watch.
“The meeting had gone on for some hours, and the time was almost half past one in the morning. As the plotters prepared to seal the plot, the door to the secret meeting room opened, suddenly and unexpectedly. Into the room walked tall dignified General Ben Akafia, the Chief of Defence Staff. He took a few steps toward the table and stood and looked momentarily at each of the faces assembled.
“In a voice full of authority and power he (Akafia) admonished; ‘Gentlemen you better drop the plan. Over my dead body will you people succeed! You cannot turn back the clock of progress!’ He turned back toward the door, stopped, turned his head to take a final look at the assemblage, and walked out without uttering another word,” it added.
In the end, the plot failed to materialise, and the second round of voting proceeded successfully, resulting in the NPP’s John Agyekum Kufuor emerging as the winner.
“For five good minutes after Akafia had left the room, the dumbfounded officers sat still, almost mummified. They were indeed calcified! The rare and masterful, almost mystical, ambush by their CDS had the officers completely stupefied! The leader of the group simply closed his notebook and folded his file. Others followed suit. They stood up and filed out of the room. No word was said, no noises made. The plot died instantly!” it added.
Though Major General Akafia may not be widely known, he played a vital role in the nation’s history.
In recognition of his service, former President Kufuor later appointed him as Ghana’s High Commissioner to Egypt in 2001.
MAG/AE
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