🇬🇭GhanaWeb·1 hour ago
Ghana marks 47th anniversary of the June 4 Revolution
Today marks the 47th anniversary of Ghana's June 4 Revolution, a significant and divisive event in the nation's political history. The uprising began as a military mutiny on May 15, 1979, when Flight Lieutenant Jerry John Rawlings and other junior officers attempted a coup against the Supreme Military Council II SMC II. This initial attempt failed, leading to the arrest of Rawlings and his co-conspirators. Rawlings cited grievances such as unpaid salaries for junior officers, widespread corruption, poor governance, economic hardship, and indiscipline within the military as reasons for the mutiny. During his trial at Burma Hall, Rawlings took sole responsibility for the actions, gaining public support. On June 4, 1979, junior officers led by Captain Boakye Djan orchestrated a jailbreak, freeing Rawlings and seizing the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation, which led to the overthrow of the SMC II. The takeover resulted in immediate violence, including the death of Major-General Odartey Willington, who had previously foiled the May 15 attempt. The mutineers established the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council AFRC, with Flt. Lt. Jerry John Rawlings as Chairman. The AFRC launched a "House Cleaning Exercise" to combat corruption, which included the execution of three former military heads of state and five senior military officers. The AFRC's reign lasted from June to September 1979, after which power was transferred to the democratically elected Dr. Hilla Limann. However, Rawlings overt